• It's every child's dream — drawing over the walls all day long. Now, one artist, known as Mr Doodle, has turned it into a reality at his home in Kent, the UK. All photos: PA
    It's every child's dream — drawing over the walls all day long. Now, one artist, known as Mr Doodle, has turned it into a reality at his home in Kent, the UK. All photos: PA
  • Cox, who lives with his wife Alena, says he spent two years creating the Doodle House, a 12-room home he bought for £1.35 million.
    Cox, who lives with his wife Alena, says he spent two years creating the Doodle House, a 12-room home he bought for £1.35 million.
  • Cox has covered the entire mansion inside and out in his eye-catching, monochrome and cartoonish hand-drawn doodles.
    Cox has covered the entire mansion inside and out in his eye-catching, monochrome and cartoonish hand-drawn doodles.
  • Even the plug sockets has been scrawled over.
    Even the plug sockets has been scrawled over.
  • Cox in one of his bathrooms.
    Cox in one of his bathrooms.
  • The sprawling property in the leafy England.
    The sprawling property in the leafy England.
  • Doodle House was completed using 900 litres of white emulsion paint, 401 cans of black spray paint, 286 bottles of black drawing paint and 2,296 pen nibs.
    Doodle House was completed using 900 litres of white emulsion paint, 401 cans of black spray paint, 286 bottles of black drawing paint and 2,296 pen nibs.
  • Sam Cox and his wife Alena outside the Doodle House.
    Sam Cox and his wife Alena outside the Doodle House.
  • Flowers inside Doodle House.
    Flowers inside Doodle House.
  • Cox is already hugely popular on the internet, with his videos attracting millions of views. His Instagram account has more than 2.7 million followers.
    Cox is already hugely popular on the internet, with his videos attracting millions of views. His Instagram account has more than 2.7 million followers.
  • The kitchen inside Doodle House.
    The kitchen inside Doodle House.
  • The stairwell.
    The stairwell.
  • According to online resource 'artnet.com', Cox's works have amassed nearly $4.7 million in sales.
    According to online resource 'artnet.com', Cox's works have amassed nearly $4.7 million in sales.
  • Cox told 'The Sunday Times' that the couple who sold him the home begged him not to doodle on it.
    Cox told 'The Sunday Times' that the couple who sold him the home begged him not to doodle on it.
  • Another view of the bathroom.
    Another view of the bathroom.
  • The kitchen counter inside Doodle House.
    The kitchen counter inside Doodle House.
  • Cox outside the Doodle House.
    Cox outside the Doodle House.
  • Cox now wants to doodle more houses in his neighbourhood and make a doodle town.
    Cox now wants to doodle more houses in his neighbourhood and make a doodle town.
  • Last year, Cox made headlines after someone paid almost $1 million for a green-and-black Mr Doodle canvas titled 'Spring' (2019) at Tokyo Chuo Auction Company.
    Last year, Cox made headlines after someone paid almost $1 million for a green-and-black Mr Doodle canvas titled 'Spring' (2019) at Tokyo Chuo Auction Company.

Culture

Art

Mr Doodle's house — why this British artist scrawled over his entire £1.35 million mansion

Sam Cox spent two years turning his lifelong dream into reality

David Tusing

October 04, 2022

  • English
  • Arabic

British artist Sam Cox, more popularly known as Mr Doodle, has achieved his childhood dream of living in a house covered by doodle art.

Cox, 28, unveiled his two-year project, having covered his 12-room home in Kent, England, with his signature hand-drawn doodles. It took 900 litres of white emulsion paint, 401 cans of black spray paint, 286 bottles of black drawing paint and 2,296 pen nibs to complete.

"When I was a kid I wanted to live in a property completely covered in characters of my own creation. A DoodleLand filled with happy creatures that bring me joy when I see them. For me, that’s what I create art for, to make myself happy and to hopefully make others happy along the way," Cox said on Instagram.

Scroll through the gallery above for more pictures of Mr Doodle's Doodle House

He showed off his creation with a stop-motion film, which was created with 1,857 photographs taken over a two-year period from September 2020.

"The whole house is real, everything is doodled, the doodles were all hand doodled for the animation, it’s not CGI," he said.

Cox is already hugely popular on the internet, with his videos attracting millions on views. His Instagram account has more than 2.7 million followers.

He's not done shabbily in the art world either, and is the fifth bestselling artist currently, according to online resource artnet.com. His works have amassed nearly $4.7 million in sales, the website says.

Last year, he made headlines when a bidder agreed to pay close to $1 million for a green-and-black Mr Doodle canvas titled Spring (2019) at Tokyo Chuo Auction Company.

Cox, who paid £1.35 million ($1.53 million) for the Kent home that's now dubbed Doodle House, told The Sunday Times that the couple who sold him the home begged him not to doodle on it.

"They told me whatever you do, please don't doodle. I didn't listen," he said.

He lives in the Doodle House with his wife Alena and their dog, and now wants to doodle more houses in his neighbourhood and make a doodle town.

"The completion of the house is just the beginning of my childhood dream to doodle the entire planet and to encourage the art world to recognise doodles as an art form," he told Kent Online. "I am so excited that my doodles now have a permanent home in the UK."

Artist imagines Dubai set to the alien world of Pandora in 'Avatar' — in pictures

  • Museum of the Future with Burj Khalifa in the background, imagined in the fictional world of Pandora in 'Avatar', by digital artist Jyo John Mulloor. All photos: Jyo John Mulloor
    Museum of the Future with Burj Khalifa in the background, imagined in the fictional world of Pandora in 'Avatar', by digital artist Jyo John Mulloor. All photos: Jyo John Mulloor
  • The Dubai Metro amid the lush vegetation of Pandora.
    The Dubai Metro amid the lush vegetation of Pandora.
  • Burj Khalifa stands tall alongside giant vegetation in Pandora.
    Burj Khalifa stands tall alongside giant vegetation in Pandora.
  • The Dubai Frame amid the vegetation of Pandora.
    The Dubai Frame amid the vegetation of Pandora.
  • Ain Dubai in the distance, imagined in the world portrayed in the film as a place rich in minerals.
    Ain Dubai in the distance, imagined in the world portrayed in the film as a place rich in minerals.
  • Burj Al Arab amid the fictional moon setting.
    Burj Al Arab amid the fictional moon setting.
  • The Na'vi people, inhabitants of Pandora, fly across the Dubai skyline.
    The Na'vi people, inhabitants of Pandora, fly across the Dubai skyline.
  • Address Beach Resort in JBR, transported to the fictional world of Pandora.
    Address Beach Resort in JBR, transported to the fictional world of Pandora.

'

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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

Expo details

Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia

The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.

It is expected to attract 25 million visits

Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.

More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020

The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area

It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South

Towering concerns
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Updated: October 04, 2022, 10:49 AM
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