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."
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.
