Andy Warhol's brightly coloured image of Marilyn Monroe is about as famous as art can get. Edition number 450, out of 750 in existence, is hanging in a Dubai gallery this week, but the stars of the show are the artworks by 45 UAE-based artists. The Big Picture, now in its second year, focuses on pieces that are large – more than one square metre in size – and big on impact, which is why marquee-name artworks have been included. "We want to show that artists are bigger than life," says Ram Nath, the organiser and curator.
Selecting the artists
More than 250 artists responded to an open call put out on social media. A panel, including Nath and the team that host The Big Picture as well as representatives from Pro Art Gallery, where the exhibition is being held, sifted through each application. "We looked at the quality of the art and the medium," says Nath.
The theme
Initially the theme was human anatomy and organs but, deciding they didn’t want too many skulls and hearts, they changed their minds and left it open for the artists.
“In the end we wanted to have a mix between UAE artists and internationally acclaimed artists, to show how they would fit together,” explains Nath.
The exhibition also includes a signed lithograph of the triptych Cow Going Abstract by Roy Lichtenstein and an original drawing titled Self Portrait by Keith Haring, plus pieces by Damien Hirst, Banksy and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
“We are not comparing them, but we do want to give the whole show credibility,” says Nath.
What the artists think
Matt Ryder, from the United Kingdom, who mainly focuses on creating surreal wildlife images, will be exhibiting a painting called The Bull. He says: “This show appealed because of the large dimensions – I really enjoy working big and I had a couple of oversized pieces that I hadn’t exhibited, so this show was particularly good for me.
Ryder says that The Big Picture is part of a larger support system for local artists that is growing at the moment.
Ruksana Hussain, a Canadian artist who is showing her work in an exhibition for the second time with this show, won a competition through Virgin to have her photograph displayed. “I am thrilled to have this chance,” she says. “I’m grateful and hoping just to immerse myself in it.”
For her self-portrait titled Marriage of Tangled Illusions, Hussain also won a year's representation from Pro Art Gallery.
The bigger picture
Nath, an artist himself, founded The Big Picture to give local artists a different platform outside of the gallery scene.
As a self-sufficient initiative, it has been successful with not just the annual event but with other exhibitions that run throughout the rest of the year.
“We are a non-profit organisation, so we don’t do this for any reason other than to promote fellow artists and to bring something different to the scene here in the UAE.”
• The Big Picture runs until Tuesday at Pro Art Gallery in Dubai. More information at www.proartuae.com
aseaman@thenational.ae
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Landfill in numbers
• Landfill gas is composed of 50 per cent methane
• Methane is 28 times more harmful than Co2 in terms of global warming
• 11 million total tonnes of waste are being generated annually in Abu Dhabi
• 18,000 tonnes per year of hazardous and medical waste is produced in Abu Dhabi emirate per year
• 20,000 litres of cooking oil produced in Abu Dhabi’s cafeterias and restaurants every day is thrown away
• 50 per cent of Abu Dhabi’s waste is from construction and demolition
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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The Internet
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four stars
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The line up
Friday: Giggs, Sho Madjozi and Masego
Saturday: Nas, Lion Bbae, Roxanne Shante and DaniLeigh
Sole DXB runs from December 6 to 8 at Dubai Design District. Weekend pass is Dh295 while a one day pass is Dh195. Tickets are available from www.soledxb.com
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Employment lawyer Meriel Schindler of Withers Worldwide shares her tips on achieving equal pay
Do your homework
Make sure that you are being offered a fair salary. There is lots of industry data available, and you can always talk to people who have come out of the organisation. Where I see people coming a cropper is where they haven’t done their homework.
Don’t be afraid to negotiate
It’s quite standard to negotiate if you think an offer is on the low side. The job is unlikely to be withdrawn if you ask for money, and if that did happen I’d question whether you want to work for an employer who is so hypersensitive.
Know your worth
Women tend to be a bit more reticent to talk about their achievements. In my experience they need to have more confidence in their own abilities – men will big up what they’ve done to get a pay rise, and to compete women need to turn up the volume.
Work together
If you suspect men in your organisation are being paid more, look your boss in the eye and say, “I want you to assure me that I’m paid equivalent to my peers”. If you’re not getting a straight answer, talk to your peer group and consider taking direct action to fix inequality.
Left Bank: Art, Passion and Rebirth of Paris 1940-1950
Agnes Poirer, Bloomsbury
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