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Street
spirit
Georgina Wilson-Powell
hits the studio of artist UBIQ
to discover what’s behind the
detailed layering of his work
I
’m not a street artist. I’m an inspired-by-the-
street artist,” says UBIQ. This young Indian
artist has a good point. Dubai is not a city
known for its underground street art in the
w./review/07.08.2009/ Photos: Bernard Testa
w./review/07.08.2009
Dubai is created.
A burgeoning part of the arts world elsewhere,
street art — a combination of drawing, graffiti, sten-
cilling and even stickers — has captured the imagi-
48 49
Art
nation of many young people, who I didn’t have any money so I used
feel it offers more of a voice they cheap markers, it’s amazing what
can identify with than traditional you can do with them. People are
art forms. It has a universality that always surprised when they find
transcends upbringing, national- out all I’ve used is markers.”
ity and religion, often combining UBIQ is always doodling, always
pop culture and visual references drawing, and it’s these doodles
with more underlying political or that form the basis of his work
personal statements. Once seen as which is often drawn straight onto
anti-establishment, street art now bits of wood that he has found. The
shares public gallery space with materials he works with give him a
many other previously left wing unique appeal and also make him
art movements such as surrealism as valid a Dubai artist as anyone
w./review/07.08.2009/ Photos: Bernard Testa
w./review/07.08.2009
solely from marker pens. carved out from his dad’s ware-
“I love working with markers, house in Sharjah, UBIQ draws
but it came from the cost factor! In constantly. It’s pretty remote com-
Dubai, decent spray paint is really pared to the centre of Dubai, but
hard to find and really expensive. it suits him. “I’m here all the time
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Art Etcetera
{Quick Crossword}
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ACROSS DOWN
1 Clutch (4) 2 Stagger (4)
4 Vehicle (3) 3 Tolerate (4)
6 Slender (4) 4 Forgave (8)
9 Owned (3) 5 Discourteous (4)
8 9 10 Kept (8) 6 Appal (5)
11 Frank (4) 7 Circuit (3)
14 Because (3) 8 Perfect (5)
10 11 16 Cranium (5) 12 Cuttlefish (5)
19 Tester (8) 13 Madness (5)
12 13 14 21 Beleaguer (5) 14 Untruth (3)
23 Explode (8) 15 Readjusted (5)
24 Conscious (5) 17 Of towns (5)
15 16 17 27 Attempt (3) 18 Flat (5)
31 Obscene (4) 20 Economise (8)
18 19 20 21 22 23 33 Renew (8) 22 Plaything (3)
34 Youth (3) 25 Flourish (5)
35 Whirlpool (4) 26 Rosy (5)
24 25 36 Tree (3) 28 Region (4)
37 Deadened (4) 29 Stove (4)
26 27 28 29 30 Staunch (4)
32 Lump (3)
30 31 Last Week's answers
Sudoku
working, I don’t stop. But I am al- painting, UBIQ and his brother are
ways online, always on the net, al- also responsible for the only art Unscramble these four Jumbles, one letter to each square, 4 8
ways listening to music...I’m con-
stantly connected.”
I'm here in my fanzine to have existed in Dubai,
Cliché. Previously monthly, Cliché
to form four ordinary words.
His first solo exhibition starts studio all of the was made up of a cleverly folded 2 7 5
on August 13 at the JamJar Gallery. time working, I piece of paper, becoming a fanzine
9 2 1
Entitled iamwhatiam, it is a visual
journey of self-exploration that
don't stop. But I and poster in one. Like his art, the
form is a result of the unique en-
started when he dropped out of am always online, vironment here. “You have to have 3 4
nervous and excited. I just want different murals around town with what? Spreading good art?” above cartoon. 3 7 4 5 1 9 8 6 2
w./review/07.08.2009
w./review/07.08.2009
sure that everyone who comes ing through. While Brazilian street for UBIQ. It is a verifying state- nine 3x3 squares contains all the digits
2 6 3 8 4 1 7 5 4
down has an awesome visual treat. artist NOVE was in town last ment, a statement of intent. Watch from 1 to 9. Now, see if you can beat
5
9
8
4
7
1
3
7
9
6
2
5
1
2
4
8
6
3
These pieces have been a labour week, he found the time to swing this space for more. Last week answer : TROTH PANSY BEFOUL SCURVY
today’s target time. Solution next week.
7 3 8 9 5 4 6 2 1
of love for me, so I hope it enter- by UBIQ’s studio. Aside from his wknd@khaleejtimes.com Experienced by the chef when the dinersreturned the meals – A SOUR TASTE Target time: 15 minutes 1 5 2 6 3 8 9 7 4
4 9 6 1 2 7 5 3 8
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