Emirati artist Abdul Raheem Salim is a pivotal part of the contemporary art scene in the UAE. With a repertoire that has won innumerable awards and accolades, Abdul Raheem has this to say about his country’s national day. “Be proud of the nation that has you in mind in each of its activity; a ruler and his government that works incessantly to give you a better life; that recognises talent and potential.’’

Kurt Blum, general manager, Swiss Art Gate, UAE refers to the artist as a “man who is a huge influence on the art scene in this country, who through his workshops and interactions with emerging artists can help art grow and keep the UAE flag flying high.’’ The following is Abdul Raheem Salim’s exclusive interview with Panorama.

How did art find its way into the fabric of your life?
It all started with my grandmother, who was not an artist herself but who had an intuitive knowledge of art. It was this knowledge, coupled with her love for her grandson, that proved to be the vital first influence on me. I would draw all that I would see, everything around me and show it to her to gain her appreciation. As I grew up, so did my art. My grandmother’s profound words still ring in my ears. She said, “You will find yourself in your art.”

What is the ‘futurism’ style of art that you practice?
Futurism is an artistic movement that has its origins in Italy. The Futurist painters had a distinctive style where they used the technique called `divisionism’ that breaks light and colour into a field of dots and stripes. I was and am still drawn to this style of art, for my work also focuses primarily on mobile lines and movement in general. 

You have often said that your paintings pay tribute to women.
My core philosophy is that if you love a woman, do not hurt her. The women in my paintings are liberated women who have the right to have their opinion and to enjoy the prerogative to say ‘no’ to a man. For if you love a woman, learn to respect her. 

How has your artistic style changed over the years?
I first studied art and sculpture in Egypt. I worked initially with stone and wood. While I enjoyed the creativity, my finished pieces were immobile, with no feelings. I wanted my art to have emotions and to breathe. I wanted glorious colours in them. So I moved to other forms of art, started working with acrylic medium and tested myself with abstracts. I translated my thoughts, my vision to canvas and enjoyed it when people stood in front of my work and gave it their own connotation.

What would you call your most challenging work to date?
I once did a huge 10m X 2m canvas painting. But I did not use a brush; I used my body as the brush. I would spread ink on plastic, cover my body with the plastic, switch on some music and press my body on this huge canvas. It was akin to dancing on a huge stage that I had laid on the ground in the form of a canvas. It was exhausting and I could work only two-three hours each day. But the whole exercise was also cathartic.

What inspires you as an artist and what saddens you and dampens your enthusiasm?
I am both inspired and saddened by children. My children — five daughters — are my world and they inspire me tremendously. When children, who are so vulnerable, are abused and when they face violence, it makes me angry and sad. In a workshop that I held recently at a school, a child had drawn a huge mansion with an outhouse and a lonely figure inside that dark room, a mere head peeping through the outhouse window. He explained it was his grandmother and nobody in his house had any time for her. A child is like a sponge absorbing every emotion. Therefore, we have the responsibility of being good role models for them to emulate.

What would you recommend to the upcoming artists in the UAE?
Be patient and keep trying different things, new techniques, material, medium. Life is never easy; keep speaking through your art and know your colours. Don’t work for awards or money, those will follow once your art is perfected.