Dubai is widely known for its skyscrapers and mega-malls, but Emirati artist Faisal Abdulqader prefers to shed light on the more traditional side of the city through his oil paintings.
Abdulqader has painted scenes that evoke the Dubai he remembers from his childhood – of cooling wind towers, fishing dhows, a fisherman mending his nets, classic Emirati teapots and carved wooden doorways.
“I like to paint pictures that reflect our deep-rooted culture, for future generations to understand how people in Dubai used to live,” he explains.
Abdulqader’s artistic endeavours are a far cry from his previous career, as a manager of Emirates Bank International (now part of Emirates NBD).
One of the first two Emirati students to study at the University of Wollongong in Dubai, he graduated with a degree and worked for the bank in his hometown of Dubai for several years. In 1997, he was transferred to the Abu Dhabi office and after several years, Abdulqader was transferred to Al Ain to open a new corporate division. After 30 years of loyal service, he retired in 2012, which gave him time to focus on his passion for painting.
When Abdulqader recreates images of the people from Dubai’s past, it could easily be his own ancestors that he’s imagining. His familyused to live in a house in the oldest part of Dubai, Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, where the houses made from gypsum and coral have been well-preserved and still retain the traditional features that Abdulqader loves to paint.
“Our family’s house is a traditional Arabian house, with a wind tower, which was used to ventilate the rooms,” he explains. “Nobody lives there now – it has become a cultural place and tourists like to go there.”
Abdulqader first discovered his artistic talent as a 9-year-old schoolboy, when his teacher turned off the classroom lights, held out a candle and asked the pupils to either draw or write about what they saw.
“I thought: ‘I can’t write about this candle, but let me draw it.’ That picture made me realise that I have this artistic strength in me.”
From then on, Abdulqader says he used to bring his pencil and paper everywhere and draw whatever was in front of him.
“Even on picnics with my parents and three brothers, I would sit doodling pictures of trees,” he says.
When he embarked on his banking career, Abdulqader stopped painting for several years to focus on his work.
“But it was always inside my heart,” he says. “Even as I was sitting in my office, I was still doodling occasionally.”
Abdulqader and his wife Fahima Al Bastaki have four children – ages 20, 16, 14 and 8.
Abdulqader has passed his artistic genes down to his eldest daughter, Shamma Al Bastaki, who is an accomplished poet and a student ambassador for the Louvre Abu Dhabi. “We are looking forward to visiting the Louvre together when it opens,” Abdulqader says.
What kind of books do you like?
I like romance books. I read Victor Hugo's book a long time ago, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, which was nice.
What other creative outlets do you have?
I like writing stories. I enjoy the process of bringing lots of characters and events together, using my imagination.
What do you think art gives you?
So many things. Art to me is life – knowledge, understanding, psychology, everything. When I’m painting, I am in one place, but it feels like I’m everywhere.
Where do you go in Dubai to unwind?
I always like to escape from Dubai’s crowds, so I go to the beach to see the sea in the afternoons, until the Sun sets. I also go to our farm in the desert. Sometimes, I just take my car and drive around alone, listening to slow music.
What kind of music do you like?
I like listening to both European and Arabic violin music. Actually music is needed to inspire me to paint. I play it on my laptop as I paint – not loudly, but softly. I find it brings more feeling to painting.
Who is your biggest inspiration?
My wife. She’s hard-working, she’s a good wife and mother, she does so many things at once. Often I say to her: ‘How can you manage all of this? If I were you I couldn’t.’
What kind of car do you drive?
I have about seven cars of different types, but I love to drive my Jeep Wrangler the most. I always drive it in manual. I feel like I’m really driving when I’m changing the gears.
Who is your favourite artist?
When I visited the Louvre in Paris and I first saw paintings by Michelangelo, I was in shock. They’re such glorious paintings, and they’re so huge.
Where’s your favourite place to travel?
I like snowy mountains, such as the ski resorts of Lebanon. I’m also fond of countries such as Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines.
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