Artist Shadab Khan gives resin art a fabulous new look with latest work
- 25 Mar 2023
Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer
Shadab Khan is a multi-award-winning contemporary artist, based in Dubai. Her art life began as a child during frequent excursions to the botanical gardens and nature conservatories.
Though a qualified Business Administrator, she found herself and her identity in art. An Ambassador of India for UNESCO Art Camp Andorra and recipient of the prestigious Cultural Golden Visa from Dubai Government for her contributions to the field of art and culture, her latest work is a gigantic resin art masterpiece for the foyer and elevator, customised by the Chairman of Mulk Holdings Shaji Ul Mulk, for his mansion in Al Barari.
Shaji Ul Mulk is one of the Indian billionaires in Dubai and is listed in Forbes.
“The biggest challenge in this work, apart from the size, was the time constraint,” says Khan. “I had to complete this gigantic painting in 22 days, as there was a wedding taking place there. It had to be completed before the guests started arriving.” Apart from this challenge, purchasing materials in bulk was not easy, she recalls. “In Dubai, it’s not easy to get art supplies in bulk,” she says. “But after visiting each corner of Dubai, I managed to collect all the required materials in a very short period.”
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The height of the artwork is nine metres and the width is 1.8 metres. Khan used around 60kgs of resin, crushed glasses of around 45kgs, clear quartz, and crystals of around seven kgs. The installation and framing were done by the client. When synthetic resin is mixed with a hardener, a chemical reaction occurs. Curing transforms the two liquid materials into a hard, durable, shiny solid in a few hours at room temperature. The result is a crystal clear, high gloss surface. “When you use epoxy resin to create artwork, it is referred to as Resin Art,” says Khan.
She adds that once you mix the resin and hardener, you have about 40 minutes to one hour of working time, before the resin becomes too thick to pour and spread. “This property of resin is the biggest challenge to do large sized artworks with it. So, to avoid unwanted wastage of resin, I did it portion by portion.”
Khan came to notice during Sikka Art Fair 2017 organised by Dubai Culture and the same year, her collaboration with Samsung to launch their Frame TV, took her art career further. She is inspired by the beauty of life, as seen through any perspective, whether it be a telescope, a microscope or natural sight. Her art is characterised by vibrant colours, contrasting shapes and bold compositions. She combines various media and different kinds of elements to achieve the right texture, flow blending, and separation of colour. Her mixed, fluid media art – which she has mastered - depicts a tasteful explosion of colour. Her artwork can be seen in many private residences and offices in the UAE besides other parts of the world. Those who collect her art include prominent celebrities and designers like Moroccan-Iraqi singer Shatha Hassoun, Emirati motivational speaker Hala Kazim, Nigerian oil tycoon Tonye Cole, Moroccan fashion designer Selma Benomar, founder of Forever Rose London Ebraheem Al Samadi and the Chairman of Mulk Holdings, Shaji Ul Mulk.
She has also had the opportunity to work for many national and international brands and has been featured in national and international magazines such as Vogue Arabia, Harper’s Bazaar Arabia and Mojeh magazine, in collaboration with Dipiugi interior design studio. Her artworks have been featured in Arab News, L’Officiel, GQ Middle East, Time Out Dubai, Commercial Interior Design, What’s On Dubai, among others. She was invited as an Ambassador to India at the high-profile art event, Art Camp Andorra, organised by UNESCO and hosted by Ajman University, with the collaboration of Ajman Tourism for which she received an award from Ajman University.
She participated in the National Geographic Abu Dhabi Local Geniuses event in a collaboration with Kobo Art and also collaborated with Samsung to launch their “The Frame” TV. Her artwork was used at the Samsung launch and displayed at Marina Home Interiors. She has been commissioned for Hermes, Forever Rose London and her artwork titled ‘Omnya - a wish’, was written about in the US based art magazine ‘Emboss’. She has also received the Top 100 Powerful Personality Award in the field of Art and Culture from ZEE5.
A recipient of the ‘Most Inspirational Woman Award’ 2021, organised by UAE Connects and powered by jewellers L. Sunderdas Zaveri, her artworks were nominated for Clyde & Co. MENA Art Award, in 2017 and 2020. She won an award for Best Abstract International Artist by Art Beats Foundation, Pune, India, and was the first winner at CREATION 99 Exhibition, organised by the Poona College, Pune. She has held workshops at Blue Waters Dubai; Dubai Design District; Senses Residential and Day Care for Special Needs; Special Needs Future Development Center and at Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein Cultural and Islamic Center. Her live painting presentations include those for National Geographic Abu Dhabi: Local Genuises; Forever Rose London at World Trade Center, Dubai; Shurooq by Sharjah Investment and Development Authority and for the UAE National Day at Dubai Outlet Mall.
“Art must be experienced,” she says. “It must touch you and go straight through your heart. Each artwork of mine strives to inspire and encourage harmony and creativity.”