Artists of determination bid farewell to Dubai's Mawaheb studio with stirring final exhibition

The week-long show will feature eight artists who have been part of the studio over its 10-year run

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  Mawaheb, an art studio for the disabled, hosted its final exhibition in December 2020 at Fann A Porter, The Workshop in Jumeirah, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Artworks by Namrata Pagarani at the final exhibition. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  The art studio has closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  'Mother Earth' by Mariam Ismail. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  All the pieces at the final exhibition will be for sale, with proceeds going to the artists. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  'Mustang' by Sharan Anil, for Mawaheb's last exhibition. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  'Tulip' collection by Anjali Kakkar, for Mawaheb. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  'Twinning' by Anjana Krishna, for Mawaheb. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Artist Anjana Krishna at the exhibition. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Wemmy de Maaker, founder of Mawaheb. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Mawaheb from Beautiful People, a non-profit art studio for young people with disabilities, will mark its final moments in Dubai with a group exhibition.

Mawaheb’s founder Wemmy de Maaker announced the art studio’s closure last month, citing the coronavirus pandemic as the reason. “The implications surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic have unfortunately forced Mawaheb to close its doors. Mawaheb was supposed to celebrate its 10-year anniversary in October, but instead of a celebration we had to make this difficult decision,” she wrote on Facebook.

She told The National in October that she hopes the community and corporate businesses will continue to support people of determination. "We hope they continue to integrate and include them, whether in motivational talks, art exhibitions or jobs. Work can still be commissioned from the artists even though Mawaheb is not there."

Founder of Mawaheb Wemmy De Maaker, left, with students. Courtesy of Mawaheb

The art studio's final exhibition will open on Monday, November 30, at Fann A Porter, The Workshop in Jumeirah, Dubai. The show will include works from eight artists who have studied at Mawaheb over its decade-long run. Among them is Anjali Kakkar, dubbed the "Tulip Queen of Mawaheb" for her fascination with painting the flower; Namrata Pagarani, who has created tributes to her favourite artists; and Mariam Ismail, whose works focus on the environment. All the pieces will be for sale, with proceeds split between Mawaheb, Fann A Porter and the artists. Works by Anjana Ramakrishnan, Leila Murgian, Sharan Anil, Verano Field and Aarti Shah will also be part of the exhibition.

Scroll through the gallery above to see some of the artworks on offer.

Mawaheb alumni include Victor Sitali, a Zambian painter who is hearing-impaired and attended the art studio from 2011 to 2014. Sitali specialises in portraiture and was included in the 12th Florence Biennale in 2019. This year, Abdulla Lutfi, an Emirati who also studied in Mawaheb, exhibited his humorous illustrations at Cuadro Gallery in DIFC.

The group exhibition at Fann A Porter will run until Monday, December 7.