A composition by Nupur Jha.

Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer

Organisers of the 12th edition of Project Art at Zabeel House by Jumeirah, The Greens have announced that Nupur Jha will be the latest artist to work in its bustling lobby area.

The Dubai-based abstract art practitioner is showcasing her favourite pieces March 27 - April 10, as well as creating live works on site for visitors to watch and buy.

“Being part of such a successful initiative as Project Art is really exciting and I’m looking forward to connecting with the property’s guests – regulars and new,” said Jha. “My work represents a deep connection with colours, utilising them as my muse as storytellers on canvas. I express my emotions and craft a playground through layers, patterns, and textures.”

With a Masters in Business Economics, the Dubai based artist has worked in the banking, insurance, and micro finance sectors in India and UAE for over 15 years. She found her calling recently, having lived in different cities across India, South Africa, and now in the UAE, where her work has been exhibited at various platforms.

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After holding a couple of successful events in Johannesburg, she moved to Dubai in 2014 and has held several exhibitions over the years in events such as World Art Dubai, DIFC Art Nights, Dubai International Art Centre and Indian Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, among others.

Her work has also been featured for a week in 2021 on digital screens across Dubai International Financial Centre. Her interaction with diverse cultures has enriched her work and provides depth and subtlety to her art. With a preference for Abstract, her paintings are earthy, sophisticated and carry contrasting images. Abstract art is art that does not attempt to represent an accurate depiction of a visual reality, but instead uses shapes, colours, forms and gestural marks to achieve its effect. “I do not think I create the artwork; I rather feel the artwork creates me,” Jha has said. “My paintings are the moments built with colours, textures, and patterns.

“While I am engrossed with my tools of creativity ably supported by the colours and the palette, there is a strong drive from within to delve into an alternate reality. It is a layer of emotions underneath. What you eventually discover is finally in reconciliation with the soul.”

  Nupur Jha is based in the UAE.

She uses layers of acrylic paint and builds textures with materials such as moulding paste and other organic tools. Some varnish coatings on the top – perhaps two or three coats – are for protection and refining the work, and to impart finesse.

According to her, her greatest joy as an artist “is when my art collector/buyers/friends have come back saying that the paintings make them feel positive and they believe they emit an aura of harmony and wellbeing. My goal is when someone lends me their wall, I am responsible for their well-being and must contribute a little bit to their lives, even if it’s an iota through the magic of colours and the thought process it provokes.”

She adds: “When you are considering an artwork, it must communicate with you and blend with or define your taste. It must call you out to explore deeper into it. That is the enduring bond between a patron and the art. When one buys an artwork, there is a recognition that it is not just a canvas, but a tangible piece of energy that is created just for you.”

Jha will also conduct a live painting session in the lobby on 31 March at 7pm, allowing art enthusiasts and hotel guests to soak in the curation of her work, which is described as both “earthy” and “sophisticated”. She will interact with visitors and share her experiences regarding her artistic journey. She is not only open to visitor experience but also is honest to visitor opinion. “Art means different things to different people,” she has noted. “It connects with different people differently and builds different consciousness. And that is precisely its beauty.” She thinks a piece of art is always a work in progress. “The quest and fulfilment is not of the artist, but is the destiny of the art itself,” she has stated.    

“We’re excited to welcome Nupur as the 12th artist in our popular Project Art series,” said Marcus Sutton, General Manager, Zabeel House by Jumeirah, The Greens. “It’s an initiative that goes from strength to strength and represents our commitment to supporting local artists and businesses throughout the city. With the lobby already acting as a space for people to meet and work, we’re hoping to inspire even further creativity for our visitors.”

Project Art is designed to provide Dubai’s artists a free space to exhibit their work to a vast audience, with the lobby area of Zabeel House also being used as a frequented co-working space and communal meeting point.  Born in Dubai, Zabeel House by Jumeirah, The Greens, is an eclectic hotel located in the heart of the neighbourhood of The Greens. “High on design, low on complexity, the hotel offers brilliant basics and unexpected extras,” it says.