DUBAI // An art exhibition with a difference is showcasing the works of 91 teenagers to raise funds for a special-needs centre in Dubai.
The brainchild of Keenan D’Abreo, it is the third exhibition organised by the teenager since last year to mobilise young artists for a cause.
It has been a hectic month for the 17-year-old in juggling his studies as a Grade 12 pupil at the Delhi Private School in Dubai and in handling more than 200 paintings.
“I actually just got off the phone with a teacher because I did not submit a project on time but it’s fine, teachers understand,” Keenan said.
“I don’t get free time, but it is manageable. It is so great to look at all the paintings because these people have so many creative ideas. There is so much talent here. Sometimes as an artist you get confined to your own ideas and methods but when you watch how others do things it has an effect on you.”
Paintings by teenagers from Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah will be available for purchase at Artex at Times Square, on Sheikh Zayed Road, this weekend. The funds raised will go to the Senses Residential and Day Care centre for special needs.
Some of the work has been posted on Instagram and the participants raised awareness for the sale in schools, on Facebook, via text messages and WhatsApp.
Maria Peat, Keenan’s art teacher, has been helping to set the prices for each painting since he launched the initiative last year.
The works are priced between Dh50 to Dh500.
“The teenagers have expressed a lot, they are not so worried about what people will think and there is abstract art, realism, impressionism, multi-media, a variety of work,” said Ms Peat, the owner of Maria’s Art Studios, in the Dubai Community Theatre & Art Centre.
“Keenan came in as a young boy wanting to try a bit of painting. The passion, the spark was always there to contribute and get better.”
Last year, the teenage art raised Dh8,200 and Dh17,200 at the Dubai and Abu Dhabi exhibitions respectively. The proceeds went to the Al Noor Centre for Special Needs in Dubai and the Special Care Centre in Abu Dhabi.
The project also encouraged more teenage artists to come forward.
“I have been painting since I was pretty young, but I never felt the confidence to show my work to others,” said Pearl Lobo, 16, who has contributed four paintings for Artex.
Despite never signing up for a formal art class, Pearl learnt techniques such as how to use acrylics after watching tutorials on YouTube.
“Now seeing the comments and appreciation of others makes me feel confident,” she said. “This will be my first event. When I heard that this was for such a great cause I thought this was the correct time. There is so much potential in us but we don’t realise it can be channelled. If Artex did not come up, or if my parents and friends didn’t motivate me, maybe I would not have used my art skills and it would have all gone to waste.”
This exhibition is also the first time that adult artists are displaying their work alongside the teenagers.
“This is the first time we have some paintings by adults who also wanted to make a change,” Keenan said. “It is still a teenage initiative but since our slogan is Paint for Change we thought we could allow adults to participate. They have maybe five to 10 paintings. We also have a volunteer as young as nine years and young artists also. The youngest artist is six years old and has painted a rocket.”
A competition of the paintings on display will be open to the teenagers only and the top three will be awarded certificates of merit.
Artex 2014 is at Times Square Centre in Dubai through Saturday. Visit www.artexforcharity.com, @artexforcharity on Instagram or the Facebook page artexforcharity for more information.
rtalwar@thenational.ae
