Dubai Canvas 3D Award 2017. Difficult to reassume memories from this event. When I read about that competition at first I decided to not apply. I don’t like awards in general and that looked like a complicated one with a huge money prize. Then some great artist friends convinced me to send my sketch and I did just few hours before deadline, at 5 in the morning..
I loved my draw but I was quite sure that my sketch “Trust in a new world” wouldn’t be selected cause theme of the festival was ‘happyness’ and in my personal art concept is not easy to concern about that.
My artworks born from contemporary social issues and from ideas on human and humanity so often they are quite sad/unhappy as reality itself. That’s why I thought to the most magic kind of happiness I felt in creating dreams and surrealistic ways to escape from reality.
In my artwork the giant lady bug is floating at it holds a precious shell as a wonderful ship. Two children are in the escaping naturalistic machine. They are rescued from war and sadness, they are refugees. They hope for a peaceful world, they dream to enjoy together, the wish to come back to their stolen childhood. Happiness would be for me to have that goal, that it should happen.
Unexpectedly at final my idea was admitted and I got my ticket to Dubai! I was one of the 25 international artists selected to fly there and paint. Some of them were my friends since years, specially Tony Ruben Remko Leon Juandres Nate, and belong to my street art family. Some others were totally new and I felt really good with them discovering nice people and talented artists also. I already miss them, mostly the younger street artists.
Well, working in Dubai 7 full days has been difficult for many reasons. Mostly the hard rain we got for 3 days (a real river especially on my draw.. such a terrible condition expecially for me, Tony and Ryzard cause we worked only on pavement anamorphoses while the others had a wall also) but many people too, walking hard on my piece with strollers. I think I tried to do my best anyway. After half day my artwork was totally broken and some artists helped me to fix and repair it. Hundreds visitors wanted to pose in the painting to interact with it!
At final winners of first Dubai Canvas 3D Art Award announced: Italian artist Cuboliquido wins top prize; Russian artist Danila Shmelev and Dutch artist Leon Keer named second and third place winners. I’m happy for them especially for my great friend Tony 🙂
I post here my painting and some picture of the work in progress starting from draw to final. Also some pictures of artists and good moments we spent together!
The event was managed by Brand Dubai, the creative arm of the Government of Dubai Media Office, The Mine with Sanaz Askari and StreetArtNews with Rom Levy.
