Chinese painter Jack Lee has captured what he describes as the mystery and mystique of Emirati life in a series of carefully executed oil paintings currently on show in the National Theatre in Abu Dhabi. Lee, who has been living in the UAE for 10 years, paints his subjects from the back, to show respect for their way of life and their religion, he also describes his subjects as modern and contemporary, opposed to the traditional heritage paintings so often shown in exhibitions about Emirati life.
The painter, who has lectured at many universities in the capital and whose work hangs in many government offices and private residences of the royal family, called his current exhibition Marhaba Asa with a subtitle: .
“The UAE is still a mystery for me,” he says, “even though I have been living here for around 10 years. Actually, I have always tried hard to learn more about the culture and history here and all my paintings are the expression of this; they show my way of understanding. Particularly, I like to employ my artistic techniques to show the dignity and unique style of local attire- the kandoura and the abaya.”
* Marhaba Asa runs until July 5 at the National Theatre, Abu Dhabi
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
