Sijin Gopinathan’s simple doodles pay profound tribute to the UAE
- Last updated: November 30, 2025 | 10:23 ..
Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer
Leading doodle artist Sijin Gopinathan has been living and creating art in the UAE for over 10 years. “During this time,” he says, “I’ve been part of many landmark creative projects, workshops and collaborations across the country. My work has reached places I never imagined they would, when I first came here from India!” He has produced art and conducted workshops for prestigious institutions such as Dubai Police, Global Village, UAE Ministry of Education, Dubai Health Authority and Department of Culture and Tourism, Abu Dhabi, among others. He has also done live art painting at horse racing events in Dubai.
“Along with these major projects,” he adds, “I have completed 35+ creative sessions, with more than 5,000 students across UAE schools. It has made art accessible, fun, and inspiring for the next generation!” This National Day, he is offering an artwork tribute to the UAE. It features a past-and-future concept, showing the leaders, culture, heritage, and the vision behind the success of the nation.
“The Rulers who built this country with wisdom, the traditions that shape its identity, and the future the UAE is confidently moving forward to — all have been represented in the artwork. Every element speaks of the strength, unity, ambition, and the beating heart of the UAE.”
When he came from India to the UAE as an artist, he remembers, he did not expect the volume of recognition he would receive in the Emirates. “The UAE gave me opportunities that changed my life,” he says. “My first-ever doodle book, Doodling Dreams, my Dubai Culture Golden Visa, and many of my major achievements, were realised because this country supported my creativity.” One of his milestone projects was creating an artwork that included 300+ people on a single canvas, symbolising peace, trust and unity. “These are the values that define the country,” he says. To complete the work, he spent over a year travelling throughout the Emirates, capturing faces from diverse backgrounds. The piece serves as a symbol of unity among different nationalities, according to him. “That project taught me how powerful art can be in bringing people together.”
“So the latest artwork is not just a drawing for me,” he sums up. “It is my thank you to the UAE for giving me a platform, a community and a life, where creativity is respected and encouraged.” According to coroflot.com, Sijin “uses the creative medium as a catalyst to uncover the true self. He chose this profession because it gives him the power to generate unlimited ideas and possibilities.” Sijin’s relationship with creativity started when he was very young. He was then a student in the sixth grade, attending an art school. After each class, he would show his artwork to his uncle. The recipient would share his work with his colleagues - they always praised the work. “This early encouragement coming from ordinary people was incredibly motivating,” Sijin says.
As he matured as an artist, Sijin was influenced by Indian artists like Raja Ravi Varma and MF Hussain. “Early on,” he said in an interview, “I experimented with various mediums, including oil painting, acrylics, pencil drawing and digital art. However, to make the most of my limited time as a professional interactive designer, I decided to focus on a simpler art form: doodling. When I moved to the UAE, my black and white doodle style resonated with the Emirati dress code, which is also predominantly black and white. The connection helped me establish myself here, and I was eventually given the title Doodle Rockstar.”
He has experienced and experimented with art in its many forms, having worked in UI designing, as an illustrator, painter and photographer. He has also worked on web and art projects in the UAE, United States and also New Zealand.
Though one can compose doodles in colour, he does not do so. The reason, he says, was because he discovered that black was a powerful medium that moved him emotionally. “I also realised I didn’t need a multitude of colours to express myself,” he adds. “I prefer the simplicity and depth of monochromatic art, with just a marker and pen, to the luxury of vibrant colours.”
Sijin “specialises in instilling life into fantasy,” according to a write-up. His artistic versatility and wide-ranging technical know-how plus an unerring aesthetic sense, has resulted in the creation of some landmark events. He is the first artist in Dubai to create a “doodle car”. He did so by imprinting a Mini Cooper car at the World Art Dubai 2021 with flourishing doodle art. “That event was a breakthrough, not only in the region, but also as an inspiration for other artists to involve themselves in similar live painting performances,” Sijin says.
Another art project was doodles on a brand new Mercedes. He has also applied his art to lifestyle products such as clothing and shoes. Dressing even an aircraft in doodles is not beyond his aspiration — the call is on the way. He has also worked in the Malayalam movie Gu, creating its titles and collaborated with leading Bollywood film studio, Yash Raj Films, for the movie Pathan. “For Pathan, I created the official jacket for the promo. Over 1,000 jackets were sold in theatres all over the UAE,” Sijin says proudly. If ever the simple doodle has to thank anyone for making it a recognised art form in the UAE, it is Sijin Gopinathan.