5 Oct 2022, Dubai: Time Out Market Dubai is revealing a brand new piece of graffiti art by one of Dubai’s up-and-coming spray-painters. 21-year-old Egyptian Emirati graffiti artist, ISL4M has created a stunning two by five metre portrait of an Emirati woman, which will be on display at Time Out Market Dubai throughout October.
Time Out Market brings the best of the city together under one roof - a curated mix of the best chefs, much-loved restaurateurs and unique cultural experiences. Alongside outstanding food, this new, vibrant artwork is part of the Market’s ongoing programme to provide a platform to up-and-coming UAE artists.
ISL4M credits Emirati women as his inspiration; “I love people and I want others to see how Emirati women are strong and confident”. As a focal point of his portraits, ISL4M depicts women in their traditional dress and headscarves, sometimes in black and white but often with bright colours added to celebrate their vibrancy. He explains that a key focus is on their eyes; “Most of the time, I paint portraits of Arabic women, using the details in their eyes to explore various layering techniques with the spray paint”.
The work of local artists is regularly displayed in the pop up outside Time Out Market Dubai’s entrance and this is where ISL4M’s new art piece will be shown from 5th to 31st October. ISL4M will also be displaying another of his spray paint portraits inside the Market,a portrait of the founding father of the UAE, Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan,
After the exhibition ends at Time Out Market Dubai, ISL4M is looking for a venue within Dubai to display the art piece; “I would love to find somewhere for the artwork to go on display after the exhibition at Time Out Market Dubai has ended. I want it to be somewhere where it can be appreciated by the Emirati women which it depicts. It perhaps could be a facility for senior citizens or for women and children. Or somewhere else where people can benefit from seeing it and be inspired by it”.
Speaking about his pop up at Time Out Market Dubai, ISL4M says he is looking forward to the exposure which it will give his art: “Time Out Market Dubai is a place for people who want to discover culture, food and art. Every artist wants to find the right spot for their art to be recognized and I feel this is mine. The Time Out Market team is giving me the opportunity to show my work to more people, who I hope will connect with it”.
Sandy Hayek, Co-CEO of Time Out Market explains why the Market is supporting young artists; “We have championed home-grown and emerging talent since we opened our doors in 2021 with the aim of bringing the best of the city’s food and cultural scene under one roof - this is something that is at the heart of all of our seven Time Out Markets around the globe. We feature local talent regularly in our pop up and across the Market in Dubai and we are dedicated to providing a platform for emerging artists in the region and to help give their art greater exposure. We are very proud to work with ISL4M and showcase his exciting art and make it accessible to our customers who come to Time Out Market to explore and enjoy culinary as well as cultural experiences”.
ISL4M’s interest in street art began in his early teens when he was heavily influenced by hip hop music and culture and would spray-paint Arabic letters on the walls behind his Dubai home. “The more I learned and practised, the more my imagination came to life,” ISL4M explains, “I wanted to draw something beyond Arabic letters, so I took my respect for women and used it to build a story around them in my art”.
ISL4M’s exhibition follows fellow Emirati artist Abdulla Lutfi’s mural in the Market and NFT artwork which has been on display in the pop-up since August next to the Fountain Bar near Time Out Market Dubai’s stage area. The detailed, monochromatic design depicts old and new Dubai through the community coming together to enjoy what the city has to offer; it will remain on display in the Market until summer 2023.
If an organisation would like to suggest a suitable destination for ISL4M’s art work to be displayed after the exhibition has ended, please contact ISL4M via his instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aimunit/
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About Time Out Market
Time Out Market is the world’s first editorially curated food and cultural market, bringing a city’s best chefs, restaurateurs, and unique cultural experiences together under one roof. From cooking classes with top chefs to installations from local artists and live entertainment, Time Out Market captures and celebrates the best of the city.
The first Time Out Market opened in 2014 in a historic market hall in Lisbon, quickly turning into the most popular destination in the city with over 4m visitors in 2019. The success of Lisbon brought further expansion in North America, with Time Out Market opening in five major cities in 2019: Miami, New York, Boston, Montreal, and Chicago. In 2021, Time Out Market expanded into the Middle East with Time Out Market Dubai, and more Time Out Market locations are in the pipeline including Porto, Abu Dhabi, Prague, Osaka, London and more.
Time Out Market is part of Time Out Group PLC (AIM: TMO), the global media and hospitality business that curates and creates the best of the world’s greatest cities.