Self-taught artist captures Dubai’s landscape on paper

Dhanunjay Karapu sketches uses only black pen and coloured pencils in his drawings, a pastime that landed one of his artworks in the State of Energy Report published last year.

Dhanunjay Karapu works as a cleaner but his passion is art. Jaime Puebla / The National / March 15, 2014

DUBAI // Finding a free minute during his 13-hour cleaning shift at a Dubai government department is not always easy for Dhanunjay Karapu.

But whenever an opportunity arises, the 26-year-old retires to a quiet corner under a staircase where, looking through a window on to a spacious patio, he expertly sketches Dubai’s skyline.

The Indian’s artistic talent reveals itself during these moments of contemplation. Drawn across three sheets of paper is a panoramic view of a garden with the city’s towers in the background. The self-taught artist, who started cleaning the offices of the Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence shortly after arriving in the emirate eight months ago, uses only black pen and some coloured pencils to reproduce the view.

Like the rest of the pieces that fill his sketchbook, the drawings are expertly realistic, despite being the work of someone who has never formally trained as an artist.

“When I draw, I feel happy and at peace,” said Mr Karapu, talking with the help of a translator. “I forget my job and leave all the tension behind.”

Mr Karapu often chooses his subjects from pictures he finds in newspapers. Among his drawings are portraits of some of the UAE’s leaders, such as the late Sheikh Zayed, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.

Among the drawings are also portraits of the late Nelson Mandela, as well as Mahatma Gandhi, whose face Mr Karapu copied from an Indian rupee note. There is also the Mona Lisa, portraits of famous Indian actors and actresses, a female cheetah with her cubs and buildings such as the Burj Khalifa, the Taj Mahal and the Eiffel Tower. Most of his drawing he does on Fridays, when he usually spends three hours in the afternoon with his pen in hand.

Drawing has been a part of his life since he was nine years old, when he first picked up a pencil. However, by age 10 he had already quit school to join his father working at a garment factory in Maharastra, a day’s train journey from his hometown of Hyderabad.

While working in Maharastra, Mr Karapu would go to Mumbai once a week to browse the museums and galleries.

Less than a year ago, he made the decision to come to Dubai for a better opportunity to support his family. On a monthly salary of Dh900, he helps his two younger sisters and mother, who work in a small factory making beedis, traditional hand-rolled cigarettes. His father is unable to work for at least a month after having diabetes diagnosed.

In the UAE, the young artist’s talent would have remained unnoticed were it not for project support officer Batool Suleimanji.

“I have seen more than this,” she said. “More than what we have just seen in the book. One day he showed me and I thought this was amazing.”

Thanks to Ms Suleimanji, one of Mr Karapu’s drawings was featured in the State of Energy Report, which was published in October last year by the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, with the assistance of Dubai Carbon and the United Nations Development Programme.

Mr Karapu is yet to make money from his drawings but said that will not stop him from enjoying and practising his art. His dream is to go back to India soon, get married and maybe even one day have his works on show in a gallery, following in the footsteps of his inspiration, the artist M F Husain.