Abdulla Lutfi’s quirky black-and-white drawings are once again in the spotlight.
The Emirati artist, who has autism spectrum disorder, has teamed up with Amazon.ae to create limited-edition electronic Eid gift cards that can be purchased from the online retailer.
There are two designs to choose from: one shows a smiling family posed together with eidiyah gift ideas in the background, and another with parents giving children, who are shown with big grins, their gifts with "Eid Mubarak" written in the background.
After buying the electronic Eid gift cards online, customers can directly email them to friends or family with a personal message, selecting the design of their choice from artworks created by Lutfi.
Describing his collaboration with Amazon, he says he considers autism to be an advantage, and that it gives him a non-conventional outlook on life, which he enjoys translating through his art.
Lutfi says he hopes to bring happiness to everyone by contributing to Amazon’s electronic Eid Gift Cards, as it allows him to connect with millions of Amazon.ae customers through his creative drawings.
“At Amazon, we always look to bring diverse backgrounds, ideas, and points of view into everything we do, committed to fostering an inclusive culture. With Eid being one of the most important celebrations of the year for audiences across the UAE, we are excited to be joining in on the celebrations while introducing customers to Abdulla Lutfi’s incredible talent as a local Emirati artist on the autism spectrum,” says Ronaldo Mouchawar, vice president of Amazon Middle East and North Africa.
“Our electronic Amazon.ae Eid Gift Cards collection this year embraces his unique talent, while offering customers more ways to gift each other eidiyah and shop during this joyous occasion.”
The cards are available in denominations between Dh1 and Dh6,000 and are valid for up to 10 years.
Lutfi goes by the artistic signature AL and has been drawing since he was 4. As a child, he would use his works as a means to communicate before he could speak.
In 2017, he held his first solo exhibition at Dubai’s Cuadro art gallery. His works showed the city’s skyline along with snapshots of life in the Gulf, offering a humorous approach with his distinctive monochrome drawings.
Since then, he has collaborated with other brands such as Converse to create street art at Dubai’s Kite Beach and Crate & Barrel for UAE-themed Christmas baubles.
Lutfi was among several artists left without a place to work when Mawaheb, a studio for people of determination, closed in 2020.
Tashkeel, a gallery in Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, stepped in and gave Lutfi and another artist, Asma Baker, a new place to create from. These days, he works in a studio called Next Chapter, in the historic Al Fahidi District.
Abdulla Lutfi's Amazon gift card designs are available here.
Scroll through the gallery below to see more of Abdulla Lufti's artwork.
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Dubai artist Abdullah Lutfi at work in a new studio at Tashkeel in the Bastakiya area. Two Emirati artists with special needs have been place to work after Mawaheb, a popular art studio for adults with disabilities, shut down last year amid the coronavirus pandemic. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Dubai artist Abdullah Lutfi with art teacher Gulshan Kavarana. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Noura Al Kaabi, the Minister of Culture and Youth and Hessa Buhumaid, the Minister of Community Development, are shown around a studio space by Emirati artists Abdullah Lutfi and Asma Baker who found a new place to work at Tashkeel in Dubai’s Al Fahidi historical district. Courtesy: Next Chapter -
Noura Al Kaabi, the Minister of Culture and Youth, shows off a ring designed by Emirati artist Asma Baker. Courtesy: Next Chapter -
Dubai Artist Abdulla Lutfi. Two Emirati artists with special needs have been given studio space at Tashkeel in the Al Fahidi historical area. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Artwork by Abdullah Lutfi. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Artwork by Dubai artist Abdullah Lutfi. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Artwork by Abdullah Lutfi that expresses his experiences during the coronavirus pandemic. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Dubai artist Abdulla Lutfi with some of his works. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Dubai artist Abdullah Lutfi with his new work that draws from a shared experience during the coronavirus pandemic. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Dubai artist Asma Baker paints, writes and designs jewellery. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Artist Asma Baker at work. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Artist Asma Baker with teacher Gulshan Kavarana. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Art teacher Gulshan Kavarana supports two Emirati artists with special needs who have been given a space to work in a Tashkeel studio in the Al Fahidi area of Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
