Soraya Sikander, who was born in Karachi and moved to the UAE two years ago, has always been immersed in art and her mother founded the Unicorn art gallery in Pakistan in 2004.
Sikander, 33, tells The National about her thoughts on abstract art, and why Ras Al Khaimah's beautiful landscapes and seascapes continue to inspire her.
What inspired you to become an artist?
For my family, work and travel are interlinked. I grew up in many different countries and, from a young age, I visited every major art museum in Europe. I remember studying the work of the French impressionists keenly, particularly their use of light. I began my formal training in Lahore and then I went on to study in London. I remember always wanting to paint places I had travelled to, but in my own particular style, as narration, a way of telling stories through pictures.
Do you find the UAE inspiring?
For a landscape and seascape painter, no city could be more rewarding than Ras Al Khaimah. I first visited in 2011; my mother was curating an art exhibition here, and I remember being stunned by the landscapes, the desert, mangroves and the Jebel Jais Mountains – the visual imageries. I knew I would come back. Since we moved here, I have exhibited at the Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival at the National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah. The art scene is emerging, with the most engaging, dynamic, and diverse group of fine-art practitioners making their presence felt.
Would you agree that your work is mostly abstract?
I don’t see my work as abstract. These are contemporary landscapes and they are simplified. When I paint a picture, for me, I see it first as simply light and shade – and then form takes over. Traditionally, landscape paintings are almost always classified as either semi-abstract, or semi-realist. As far as my practice goes, I think the work may perhaps best be described as unclassifiable.
You work in many different mediums – what is your preferred medium and why?
I enjoy the rich quality of oil paints. One can really create mood and dramatic lighting and, having studied the old masters, I think oil paints reign supreme. Acrylics also have a luminescent quality and they’re convenient. For sketching, I work with pencil or charcoal. I consider my ink work to be paintings and not drawings.
You have said that the flower paintings you did in Pakistan helped to promote tolerance and non-violence. In what way?
I think for anyone concerned about social issues, it is difficult not to respond. When you live in a country fighting a war, you cannot be ignorant of the effects it has on society. Being a painter, my response was visual – but I wasn’t interested painting images of death, blood and gore. That achieves nothing. Rather, I wanted to use my work to start a dialogue and, at the same time, send a message. I thought the symbols of flowers were most effective. It is non-preachy, subtle and has a universal poetic quality to it. Flowers act as a positive reinforcement to get the audience’s attention, and at the same time offer sanity in the midst of crisis. And most importantly, since most art is deeply personal, coming from a personal space, for me, painting flowers in the midst of chaos and destruction was a self-preservation thing. It’s how I expressed and saved myself.
Where can we see your work?
My upcoming exhibitions include a showing at the Pakistan High Commission in London and a solo exhibit at Unicorn Gallery in November 2016. Other shows are in the pipeline, and dates are yet to be announced. I regularly post news, info and updates on my website – I find the internet to be one of the most accessible and democratic mediums for artists.
aseaman@thenational.ae
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The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
Stats at a glance:
Cost: 1.05 billion pounds (Dh 4.8 billion)
Number in service: 6
Complement 191 (space for up to 285)
Top speed: over 32 knots
Range: Over 7,000 nautical miles
Length 152.4 m
Displacement: 8,700 tonnes
Beam: 21.2 m
Draught: 7.4 m
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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
2019 ASIA CUP POTS
Pot 1
UAE, Iran, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia
Pot 2
China, Syria, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Qatar, Thailand
Pot 3
Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Palestine, Oman, India, Vietnam
Pot 4
North Korea, Philippines, Bahrain, Jordan, Yemen, Turkmenistan
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Pad Man
Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
Three-and-a-half stars
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Result
UAE (S. Tagliabue 90 1') 1-2 Uzbekistan (Shokhruz Norkhonov 48', 86')
What to watch out for:
Algae, waste coffee grounds and orange peels will be used in the pavilion's walls and gangways
The hulls of three ships will be used for the roof
The hulls will painted to make the largest Italian tricolour in the country’s history
Several pillars more than 20 metres high will support the structure
Roughly 15 tonnes of steel will be used
Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets