An artist, photographer and progressive businesswoman, Sheikha Wafa Hasher Al Maktoum is determined to promote artistic development in the UAE by helping create a design-centric social community in Dubai. In May she oversaw the launch of Fn Design Studio, a multi-disciplined space that specialises in graphic and product design, illustrations, branding and art-related events. The company oversees Fn Sketch, a monthly event that aims to promote and exhibit local artists.
Born in Dubai, Sheikha Wafa started taking pictures at the age of six on a school trip to Dubai Zoo and hasn't stopped. In 2007, having already obtained a degree in business administration at the Higher Colleges of Technology (Dubai Women's College), she graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in art and design from Zayed University. As an artist, Sheikha Wafa explores her immediate surroundings, focusing on individuals she finds of interest. With a keen sense of visual and narrative intrigue, she works with a variety of new media, screen printing and photography.
IN MY SPARE TIME... I like to watch movies, read and go out with my camera and observe the world around me. MY CAREER... is wide open but there are a lot of things I need to go through and face. INSPIRATION... is everything that is around me - you just have to open your eyes! PHOTOGRAPHY... has allowed me to be inspired by simple things such as a stranger passing by or an abandoned home. MY ROLE MODELS... are my parents. Without a doubt they have had the biggest influence and impact on my life and gave me the courage and tenacity to achieve all that I have to this point and the things I hope to in the future. ART ON DISPLAY... I would like to show my work at the Empty Quarter Fine Art Photography studio because they showcase great photographers from around the world, and perhaps at the Louvre in Paris or Abu Dhabi in the future. AS AN ARTIST... I want to touch and inspire people. If it creates some kind of emotional reaction then my job is done. MY STYLE IS... eclectic. I blend elements of realism with abstract, minimalism and surrealism. MIDDLE EASTERN ART... has grown in leaps and bounds in the past few years. Art has never been a huge focus for the UAE but this is changing; it is an exciting time.
