Al Ain Heritage Festival to show Emirati art

Women make telli embroidery in an artwork by Emirati artist Budour Al Ali which will go on display at Al Ain Heritage Festival (Courtesy: Budour Al Ali)

Two Emirati women making a form of telli (a form of embroidery), close up details of their embroidered dresses and jewellery and landscape images of the women’s environment are all part of a new collection of paintings by Emirati artist Budour Al Ali. The collection will go on display tomorrow at the Al Ain Heritage Festival as a way of celebrating Emirati culture but also the strength of the local women.

“Through art, I am currently trying to empower the dignity of Muslim women,” she explains. “In western culture this is something that has had very bad press and my paintings go some way to overcome this stereotype.”

As well as the typical images of heritage, Al Ali has also painted portraits of the younger generation of Emirati women going about their day-to-day lives. “The aim of the exhibition was to be focused on females. I painted their dresses, the henna, the make-up and our relationship with each other. I want to show the world thow we celebrate our mothers and our women but most importantly that we are free and we do what we want. At the end of the day I don’t just want to have art exhibitions, I want to use it as a tool to raise awareness.”

• Budour Al Ali: Solo Exhibition will be on show at Al Jahili Fort, Al Ain from Wednesday-Saturday. The opening hours are from 5.30pm-9.00pm