Nasir Nasrallah holes up in Beit Al Shamsi whenever he can. He has a narrow space in this evocative old courtyard of rooms in the Heart of Sharjah, and shares the building with 14 other artists selected to work there by the city's Department of Culture and Information.
Ploughing through page after page of notebooks and dividing his time between cartoonlike narratives and more classical paintings that depict the raucous colour of a fruit market, the Emirati artist has a multitude of techniques on the boil at any one time.
"Every piece I do gives me some experience for future artworks," says Nasrallah. "I don't want to stop any of the styles of work that I'm doing now."
The process
Trained as a telecommunications engineer, Nasrallah's techie background has fed his adoration for the mechanical.
"I want to pull apart machines and know how a mechanism works," he tells us. "You can apply mechanics to any part of life; even your personal life can be thought of as a machine."
This has led to a series of drawings that depict a chaotic mass of interwoven machinery - some ultra-complex assembly line designed for the most mediocre of task – for instance, a good cup of coffee.
In March, Nasrallah unveiled a series titled Useless Machines at the Sikka Art Fair – myriad domestic knick-knacks cobbled together to form a hybrid installation – entirely useless, he tells us, but a catalyst for some curious responses from the audience.
He points to an assemblage of gears, circuity and exposed wiring. "Someone told me this could be a machine for controlling the weather. It all depends on each individual's experience of the elements in the machine," he explains.
Nasrallah's participation in Sikka rounded off a three-month artist residency with AiR Dubai, a programme initiated between Art Dubai, Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, the studio hub Tashkeel and the Delfina Foundation. Working alongside five other artists – a mix of local and international names – Nasrallah says the experience showed him the storytelling potential of installation. "It was a chance to work with different materials and have the space to play around with new ideas."
The working week
Previously an engineer for Etisalat before the workload overwhelmed his opportunities for time in the studio and forced him to quit, Nasrallah now balances a job at the Department of Culture and Information with his art.
"We organise activities every Monday, with film screenings and workshops for both children and adults. I'm responsible for Beit Al Shamsi as well," he says.
"But I still manage to get into the studio twice a week and at weekends. It would be hard to just concentrate on my art because I have a family, and I took a job to pay the bills. But if I had the opportunity then I would go full-time on it, definitely."
Nasrallah's early studies at the Emirates Fine Arts Society, the country's oldest art collective, has had a profound effect on his practice. He was tutored by some of the UAE's foremost artists, such as Mohammed Kazem and Ebtisam Abdulaziz. "I feel it's my place," he says. "My artistic ambitions really started here."
The inspiration
Provoking stories in his audience is a key facet of what Nasrallah is trying to do: "I don't want anyone to feel pushed to read my work in any particular way."
He's been invited to participate in the Sharjah Biennial next year with a large-scale version of his Story Converter – a black, covered box in which the audience is invited to place their hand and scribble down a secret on a piece of card inside.
"I will take these cards and 'convert' them into drawings," says Nasrallah. He did a similar work at Sikka Art Fair this year, and says it was successful and a good source of material for his work. "I had more than 50 responses just on opening night."
The artist has also started work on his first children's book – illustrated, written and published by him.
Getting seen
"I've not really explored the option of getting my work into one of the commercial galleries in Dubai, mainly because of the lack of time," he says. "But I have exhibited with the Emirates Fine Art Society before at Sharjah Art Museum and sold work."
Nasrallah says that the development of the scene in Dubai is encouraging and is impressed with the talent emerging from a younger generation of Emirati artists. But he remains committed to Sharjah and the fine art group that was established more than 30 years ago: "I was born here as an artist."
For more on Nasir Nasrallah's work, visit www.nasir.ae.
clord@thenational.ae
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Company%20profile
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Ticket prices
General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
Indika
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Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Aaron Finch, Matt Renshaw, Brendan Doggett, Michael Neser, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (captain), Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Jon Holland, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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Company%20Profile
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The flights: South African Airways flies from Dubai International Airport with a stop in Johannesburg, with prices starting from around Dh4,000 return. Emirates can get you there with a stop in Lusaka from around Dh4,600 return.
The details: Visas are available for 247 Zambian kwacha or US$20 (Dh73) per person on arrival at Livingstone Airport. Single entry into Victoria Falls for international visitors costs 371 kwacha or $30 (Dh110). Microlight flights are available through Batoka Sky, with 15-minute flights costing 2,265 kwacha (Dh680).
Accommodation: The Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Hotel by Anantara is an ideal place to stay, within walking distance of the falls and right on the Zambezi River. Rooms here start from 6,635 kwacha (Dh2,398) per night, including breakfast, taxes and Wi-Fi. Water arrivals cost from 587 kwacha (Dh212) per person.
TO%20CATCH%20A%20KILLER
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COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
ON%20TRACK
%3Cp%3EThe%20Dubai%20Metaverse%20Assembly%20will%20host%20three%20main%20tracks%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEducate%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Consists%20of%20more%20than%2010%20in-depth%20sessions%20on%20the%20metaverse%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInspire%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Will%20showcase%20use%20cases%20of%20the%20metaverse%20in%20tourism%2C%20logistics%2C%20retail%2C%20education%20and%20health%20care%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EContribute%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Workshops%20for%20metaverse%20foresight%20and%20use-case%20reviews%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group C
Liverpool v Napoli, midnight
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 480hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 570Nm from 2,300-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 10.4L/100km
Price: from Dh547,600
On sale: now
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
FIXTURES
Thu Mar 15 – West Indies v Afghanistan, UAE v Scotland
Fri Mar 16 – Ireland v Zimbabwe
Sun Mar 18 – Ireland v Scotland
Mon Mar 19 – West Indies v Zimbabwe
Tue Mar 20 – UAE v Afghanistan
Wed Mar 21 – West Indies v Scotland
Thu Mar 22 – UAE v Zimbabwe
Fri Mar 23 – Ireland v Afghanistan
The top two teams qualify for the World Cup
Classification matches
The top-placed side out of Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong or Nepal will be granted one-day international status. UAE and Scotland have already won ODI status, having qualified for the Super Six.
Thu Mar 15 – Netherlands v Hong Kong, PNG v Nepal
Sat Mar 17 – 7th-8th place playoff, 9th-10th place play-off
