Life-size sculptures of three camels on show in Downtown Dubai

Camel statue on display near the Address hotel in Downtown Dubai in Dubai. ( Pawan Singh / The National

DUBAI // Life-size sculptures of three Arabian camels are on show in Downtown Dubai.

The sculptures, an adult camel, its calf and another animal, were created by South African sculptor Donald Grei after thousands of hours of riding and observing the animals.

Greig spent eight months making the original clay sculpture that was moulded into silicone and cast into wax. After dipping each sculpture in 15 layers of ceramic, the pieces were then topped off with molten bronze.

It took four months to cast in bronze. The models were then treated with chemicals and heated to recreate bronze hues, according to a statement from Emaar.

The trio of camels weighs 800 kg with the height of each camel varying from 3m to 1.9, and 1.3m.

“I look forward to viewing Camels in the heart of this magnificent city, which in my mind, is home to some of the world’s greatest engineering and architectural feats of the 21st century,” said Greig, one of Africa’s most prolific sculptors who is famous for producing works that are detailed and proportionate.

“The gracious and majestic Arabian camel is a reminder of our past and a cue of how significantly the city has evolved,” said Ahmad Al Matrooshi, managing director, Emaar Properties.

Downtown Dubai’s collection of artworks include works by Colombian artist Fernando Botero, Kuwaiti sculptor Sami Mohamed Al Saleh, Syrian artist Lutfi Romhein, Spanish sculptor Xavier Corbero, Korean sculptor Jaeyhoo Lee and South African sculptor Vincent Da Silva.