Chinartree

‘We want to cultivate art from Dubai.’ An Interview with Lateefa bint Maktoum at Tashkeel - December 2008

 

We know two things about Lateefa bint Maktoum - that her desire to study art in Dubai led to the development of a bespoke, fine art school known as Latifa College* - and that since graduating in 2007, she has become a leading figure in the UAE’s art community.

What is intriguing about the young Emirati woman is not only her drive, but also the fact that she is extremely hands on.  It is these attributes that led to the launch of Tashkeel in January 2008, the first fully equipped artist’s studio facility of its kind in the UAE. 

Speaking to Lateefa bint Maktoum in her capacity as an artist and a director of Tashkeel as well as the facility’s manager, Jill Hoyle, ChinarTree enjoyed delicious Emirati saffron tea on a grey and drizzly morning in Dubai.  We found Lateefa bint Maktoum to be open, down-to-earth and a fitting role model for a growing generation of Emirati artists.

ChinarTree: What made you choose a career in art? 

Lateefa bint Maktoum: At my school, Latifa School for Girls, there was a really strong focus on art from the beginning.  It was quite unique as serious art education in Dubai generally starts at university level and not school.

But before school, I was encouraged by my sister Hessah bint Maktoum.  She was part of the ‘Tebra’ group of five female Emirati artists.  While she would paint or do silkscreen printing in her studio, I would sit in a corner and scribble on a tissue box!

CT: Were there other Emirati artists that influenced you?

LM: At the time I didn’t know of any, I only heard about artists such as Hassan Sharif two years ago!  Instead I focused on international movements like Surrealism. 

When it came to my own culture, there was a lack of interest on my part mainly because the local art I saw at the time was very clichéd.  It was filled with images of coffee pots and camels and I didn’t want to go down the clichéd route. 

Only now have I gone back to re-address my heritage, but in a contemporary way.  I place traditional symbols in a contemporary light and give them a surrealist twist. I am influenced by Salvador Dali and the photographer Duane Michals.    

CT:  And what would you say your work is about now?

LM:  My work deals with the issues of women, nature and the earth.  All my life I’ve been surrounded by women.  All ages, and I didn’t realise until recently how much they had influenced me. 

For example, when I was young, I used to cut leaves off the ghaf tree with one of my mother’s friends and take them back to the Majlis to eat with rice.  So I learnt about nature early on, how it influences us and how we’re all connected. 

I also look at Dubai, before and now.  I feel they’re destroying what Dubai was - the essence of it is being lost.  I was really sad when they took the Nad al Shiba camel race track and farms away to Marmoom.  It was part of my life for 20 years, I use to pass by them every day and now they’re gone.

So in one of my latest works called ‘personal tranquility’ I remove myself from all the destruction - I don’t call it construction - and I’m in my own garden.  It’s my own world where all the destruction is fading away and barely visible.  My work is very personal.  It’s about people and change. 

CT: How easy do you think it is for an Emirati girl to become an artist today?

LM: In the public eye, it might seem like things are becoming easier, but it’s not so within families.  Art is still seen as a hobby and not as a profession.  It takes a certain type of character to overcome this. 

For example, in our college we had fourteen girls who began with visual arts.  By the third year, this figure dropped to six.  Most of them switched to graphic or interior design because they thought it would be easier to get jobs with these degrees.  I was the only one left on the Fine Art course! 

CT: What do you think needs to change?

LM: Girls need to have courage - that’s the main thing.  And they need to know how to explain the importance of art to their families.  What I think is a positive step is organisations like the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (DCAA) publicly encouraging youth to take up art. 

When people see government encouragement and Emirati art exhibitions taking place, that makes an impact.  So change is coming… slowly but surely!

CT: How much of an impact do you think you have had on society, as an Emirati Sheikha who supports fine art?

LM: I think one Emirati trusts another.  It helps to see a familiar name, so if people are comfortable with the person behind the organization, it will encourage local people to become involved. Dubai is built on family and community values, so in the end it boils down to what parents think, even if the girl is 25! 

CT: So tell us about how Latifa College became Tashkeel?

Jill Hoyle: Well, the idea came about when Lateefa bint Maktoum was putting her feelers out for other artists in the UAE during the ‘Minus Reality’ exhibition at Art Attack Gallery.  She discovered that the younger artists knew of each other, but had never actually met. 

Once students graduate their entire support system disappears and the opportunity for peer critique is lost.  Subsequently, we realised that there wasn’t a meeting place for an art community in Dubai. 

CT: Why do you think building an art community is so important in a place like Dubai?

LM: Firstly, you can’t grow alone; you need to be challenged by people.  I also realised a lot of people had fantastic concepts but didn’t know how to execute them.  So we created a situation where people could learn from each other.  We intended for it to grow organically rather than in a planned fashion.

In our last photography exhibition, we had a group of artists - regulars at Tashkeel - who suddenly came together in one of the studios and started sharing techniques they had learnt in our recent printmaking workshops.  So during the opening itself, we had artists collaborating in the background!  It was amazing!

CT: What level of artist is Tashkeel aimed at?

JH: It is primarily for those who’ve had some experience before and want to expand upon that.  For example we have graphic designers looking for a creative outlet at the end of their work day or digital photographers who want to go back into the dark room to explore alternative developing methods.

CT: After a year of being open what has the response been like?

JH: Well we purposely didn’t promote it ‘all guns blazing’! We wanted to introduce Tashkeel slowly so as to have a ripple effect, which is what we’ve achieved.  People know our name now. 

Our membership is up to 50 and at any one time you’ll find a mix of nationalities, experience levels and age-ranges which is great because it’s a real reflection of Dubai’s community. 

We have an Italian painter, a Spanish printmaker, an English photographer, a few Emirati girls and a Romanian sculptor all interacting at Tashkeel.  It’s been exciting to see this integration and I think it’s important to bring different people together to share ideas and techniques.

CT: What does Tashkeel have planned for the future?

LM: Well, we’d like to expand the studio spaces to be able to cultivate a range of artists from Dubai because we want to promote art from the region.  We’ll also be developing more community activities for our members.

Most importantly, we plan to make a separate space for artist studios.  Right now we only have communal spaces and I think sometimes you need your own space to be able to listen to your own ideas!

Tashkeel, ‘an innovative hub for creative minds’ is located in Nad Al Shiba, Dubai.

Facilities offered: Fine art studio, sculpture (wood, acrylic and model making) printmaking (screen, lino and etching), textile printing, digital printing (Illustrator and Photoshop), video editing, photography studio and dark room, 3D workshop with jewellery design and a comprehensive art library with current magazine subscriptions and internet.

Membership: 7,500 AED for annual membership, (weekly or monthly packages are also available). 
Open 8-10am, Saturday to Thursday, Tel: 009714-3363313, Email: tashkeel@tashkeel.org

*Latifa College was a satellite campus (2003-2007), under the umbrella of Zayed University, Dubai.