• Tremblay travelled to the borders of the desert between Dubai and Abu Dhabi’s Eastern Region on the Al Ain road before sunrise to complete the task but fell foul because of the weather.
    Tremblay travelled to the borders of the desert between Dubai and Abu Dhabi’s Eastern Region on the Al Ain road before sunrise to complete the task but fell foul because of the weather.
  • As Tremblay was finishing the glue application, the wind speeds picked up, making it impossible to control the balloon even at 15m, the height at which the team had planned to hover at while Tremblay completed the art.
    As Tremblay was finishing the glue application, the wind speeds picked up, making it impossible to control the balloon even at 15m, the height at which the team had planned to hover at while Tremblay completed the art.
  • At such a size, the portrait of Sheikh Zayed, the founder of the UAE, is the largest ever made, according to Tremblay.
    At such a size, the portrait of Sheikh Zayed, the founder of the UAE, is the largest ever made, according to Tremblay.
  • Tremblay achieved shading effects by using black sand from Fujairah for the hair, beard, eyes and black egal or rope that fixes the headscarf in place. For the mid-tone, he used the sand from the Al Ain desert, and for the lightest parts, such as the face and the headscarf, he used sand from the beaches in Dubai, where it is almost white.
    Tremblay achieved shading effects by using black sand from Fujairah for the hair, beard, eyes and black egal or rope that fixes the headscarf in place. For the mid-tone, he used the sand from the Al Ain desert, and for the lightest parts, such as the face and the headscarf, he used sand from the beaches in Dubai, where it is almost white.
  • “It’s a great honour for me to be able to produce this portrait,” says Tremblay. After it was completed in the desert, the portrait was moved to the Canadian University of Dubai campus to dry. It will later be transported to Liwa where it will be displayed at the Upcycle exhibition at the Liwa Art Hub on Thursday.
    “It’s a great honour for me to be able to produce this portrait,” says Tremblay. After it was completed in the desert, the portrait was moved to the Canadian University of Dubai campus to dry. It will later be transported to Liwa where it will be displayed at the Upcycle exhibition at the Liwa Art Hub on Thursday.

In pictures: Sand painting of Sheikh Zayed

Olga Camacho

May 12, 2014

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Internationally renowned artist Sylvain Tremblay attempted to paint a portrait of Sheikh Zayed from a hot-air balloon by dropping paint, glue and sand onto a canvas spread on the ground. All photos by Pawan Singh / The National.

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