Mattar Bin Lahej’s most recent work, Encyclopedia, is set up in the Waterfall Atrium at The Dubai Mall. Antonie Robertson / The National
Mattar Bin Lahej’s most recent work, Encyclopedia, is set up in the Waterfall Atrium at The Dubai Mall. Antonie Robertson / The National
Made up of a series of circular pieces joined by deep curves, it is engraved with arabesque patterns and excerpts from the Quran or from works that explicate the verses. Courtesy Mattar Bin Lahej
Made up of a series of circular pieces joined by deep curves, it is engraved with arabesque patterns and excerpts from the Quran or from works that explicate the verses. Courtesy Mattar Bin Lahej
The sculpture is 15 metres long and almost three metres at its highest point, the sheer size and scale of it is awe-inspiring and the level of detail, once you look closely, is flawless. Antonie Robertson / The National
The sculpture is 15 metres long and almost three metres at its highest point, the sheer size and scale of it is awe-inspiring and the level of detail, once you look closely, is flawless. Antonie Robertson / The National
Made from top-grade stainless steel, the piece of art shines and reflects everything around it. But stand next to it long enough and you feel you are looking at a universe full of orbiting planets and stars, characterised by constant movement. Courtesy Mattar Bin Lahej
Made from top-grade stainless steel, the piece of art shines and reflects everything around it. But stand next to it long enough and you feel you are looking at a universe full of orbiting planets and stars, characterised by constant movement. Courtesy Mattar Bin Lahej
The idea for this complex piece of art came when Bin Lahej read the book titled Quran Encyclopedia last year. Antonie Robertson / The National
The idea for this complex piece of art came when Bin Lahej read the book titled Quran Encyclopedia last year. Antonie Robertson / The National
Although the ideas came quickly, it still took about six months for Bin Lahej to map out the intricacies of the complex sculpture before any physical construction began. Courtesy Mattar Bin Lahej
Although the ideas came quickly, it still took about six months for Bin Lahej to map out the intricacies of the complex sculpture before any physical construction began. Courtesy Mattar Bin Lahej
In what was formerly a place for marine boat building, Bin Lahej’s artwork took shape. It was sculpted using water jets, cut with lasers and engraved in a process using special chemicals. Every detail was supervised by Bin Lahej’s expert eye and, after only 45 days, the final piece, which weighs four-and-a-half tonnes, was ready. Courtesy Mattar Bin Lahej
In what was formerly a place for marine boat building, Bin Lahej’s artwork took shape. It was sculpted using water jets, cut with lasers and engraved in a process using special chemicals. Every detail was supervised by Bin Lahej’s expert eye and, after only 45 days, the final piece, which weighs four-and-a-half tonnes, was ready. Courtesy Mattar Bin Lahej
The art piece was installed at the beginning of July and, by the end of the month, approximately 500,000 people will have seen the piece at the Dubai Mall. Antonie Robertson / The National
The art piece was installed at the beginning of July and, by the end of the month, approximately 500,000 people will have seen the piece at the Dubai Mall. Antonie Robertson / The National
Although the sculpture carries the name of God and the word of the Quran, Bin Lahej says it is not just for Muslims. “The Quran is a big message and one of the verses of it says that if you are going to invite people to read that message, don’t invite them with a sword or a knife, invite them with beauty. We are all human, we all respond to beauty so this piece is not for Muslims only. Muslims know the beauty of the Quran. This is for non-Muslims, too, to invite them to ask questions,” says Mattar Bin Lahej. Courtesy Mattar Bin Lahej
Although the sculpture carries the name of God and the word of the Quran, Bin Lahej says it is not just for Muslims. “The Quran is a big message and one of the verses of it says that if you are going to invite people to read that message, don’t invite them with a sword or a knife, invite them with beauty. We are all human, we all respond to beauty so this piece is not for Muslims only. Muslims know the beauty of the Quran. This is for non-Muslims, too, to invite them to ask questions,” says Mattar Bin Lahej. Courtesy Mattar Bin Lahej

In pictures: Mattar Bin Lahej’s steel sculpture at Dubai Mall

Olga Camacho

July 21, 2014

  • English
  • Arabic

Artist Mattar Bin Lahej's most recent piece, Encyclopedia, will be on display in The Dubai Mall's Waterfall Atrium untilJuly 31.

Racecard
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Gender pay parity on track in the UAE

The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.

"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."

Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.

"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.

As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general. 

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Director: Jafar Panahi

Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr

Rating: 4/5

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