When Matthew Ryder received a sunburst Gibson Les Paul guitar to customise with his own art, he almost didn’t want to start. The solid-body guitar, which was designed in the 1950s, is, after all, considered by aficionados to be the most desirable electric guitar ever created.
Vision of sound
He is one of 18 UAE-based artists who were selected to put their own unique artistic stamp on Gibson guitars for a pop-up exhibition called Vision of Sound – which opened on Saturday as a joint celebration of the company's 120th anniversary and yesterday's International Day of Peace. And it's all for a good cause: the guitars will be auctioned in October with the proceeds going to charity.
“I had researched how to remove the paint and the best way was to melt it off with a heat gun,” says Ryder, “but when it came to it, I was too afraid of damaging it, so I just sanded it down and primed and painted it as I would a canvas.”
Ryder’s design, titled Lost Doves, was inspired by the Day of Peace theme. He settled on a black background with a lion’s head in full roar on the front and a large dove on the back. The dove was repeated on the front, smaller and flying out of the lion’s mouth.
Going on show
Vision of Sound was unveiled on Saturday at the Hard Rock Cafe Dubai, before moving to The Dubai Mall yesterday, where it will be on show until October 5.
There was also a two-day special showing on Saturday and Sunday of Gibson Through the Lens, a travelling exhibition that includes 60 fine-art prints from international music photographers, such as Baron Wolman, Mick Rock, Ross Halfin and the late Jim Marshall. They include classic images of Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Bob Marley, Keith Richards and many more guitarists who have played Gibson guitars.
Henry Juszkiewicz, the chairman and chief executive of Gibson Brands, says: “We are happy to join our friends in the Middle East to increase our involvement in the region. While Gibson has become a household name for musicians and music lovers alike, we want to bring a never-before-seen perspective of the brand to Dubai, adding a new and exciting visual artistic layer to the musical one everyone loves so much.”
Curating the project
Mo Abedin, an Emirati urban artist and the curator of the guitar exhibition, says that there are some amazing one-of-a-kind creations in the show. He selected the artists for their skill and style, without considering their nationality.
“I’m an Emirati, this is my city, this is my country, everything I have done so far has been community driven,” he says. “I am not biased and I don’t look at a country count when choosing artists. I go with pure raw passion and directed talent. It is very important to support these people as they are our future.”
Making the cut
Also featured in the show are Jalal Luqman, an Emirati mixed-media artist who can be credited with bringing digital art to the UAE; Liz Ramos-Prado, an illustrator and designer from Peru; Dina Butti, an Egyptian-Canadian artist; and Flordeliza Pesigan, a self-taught artist from the Philippines.
With 18 artists, the variety and influences of the designs are wide. The only thing uniting them is a distinctive 120th anniversary inlay at the 12th fret.
“This is a big thing for these artists,” says Abedin. “Gibson is an international brand and this will help get the artist’s name out there on an elevated platform.”
• The Gibson Art Guitars are on display in the Waterfall Atrium in The Dubai Mall until October 5
aseaman@thenational.ae
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE SPECS
Engine: 4.4-litre V8
Transmission: Automatic
Power: 530bhp
Torque: 750Nm
Price: Dh535,000
On sale: Now
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Film: Raid
Dir: Rajkumar Gupta
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Ileana D'cruz and Saurabh Shukla
Verdict: Three stars
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 3 (Sterling 46', De Bruyne 65', Gundogan 70')
Aston Villa 0
Red card: Fernandinho (Manchester City)
Man of the Match: Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
UAE central contracts
Full time contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Usman, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid
Part time contracts
Aryan Lakra, Ansh Tandon, Karthik Meiyappan, Rahul Bhatia, Alishan Sharafu, CP Rizwaan, Basil Hameed, Matiullah, Fahad Nawaz, Sanchit Sharma
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.5-litre%204-cylinder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20101hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20135Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Six-speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh79%2C900%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Voy!%20Voy!%20Voy!
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Omar%20Hilal%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Muhammad%20Farrag%2C%20Bayoumi%20Fouad%2C%20Nelly%20Karim%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EHigh%20fever%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EIntense%20pain%20behind%20your%20eyes%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ESevere%20headache%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ENausea%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EVomiting%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ESwollen%20glands%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ERash%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIf%20symptoms%20occur%2C%20they%20usually%20last%20for%20two-seven%20days%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ZIMBABWE V UAE, ODI SERIES
All matches at the Harare Sports Club:
1st ODI, Wednesday - Zimbabwe won by 7 wickets
2nd ODI, Friday, April 12
3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14
4th ODI, Tuesday, April 16
UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Cry Macho
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Dwight Yoakam
Rating:**