My work gets stolen
Let me start off by telling you about New Era Introducing.
According to the blurb on their website, “New Era Introducing is a global creative project showcasing unique talent from across the world. The project gives creative minds of tomorrow an opportunity to make their own statement using a blank New Era 59FIFTY as their canvas. Those judged to show the most unique display of self- expression will go on to form a touring gallery exhibition and be published in a limited edition New Era Introducing book.”
Back to September of 2011. I made this.
It was pink, it was pretty, and it was mine. However, since it was for a competition, I packaged it back to London, and kept my fingers crossed, that if it didn’t win, at least it would make it as a finalist and travel around the world.
Which it did. My cap together with 50+ other caps, travelled around Europe, stopping at London, Paris, Sweden, Barcelona, South Africa, etc. The last scheduled stop was for Dubai, and I looked forward eagerly to the day that I would be reunited with the cap again.
On the day of the exhibit in Dubai, a lady emails me to tell me that they had “misplaced” the cap.
Or rather it had been stolen.
According to the New Era people, my cap went missing around February, during the Barcelona stop of the travelling exhibition. Apparently, somebody put it on his head, and walked out of the gallery with nobody the wiser.
Heartbreaking, since I had put a lot of effort into the artwork; it rather felt like somebody had kidnapped one of my kids.
On the eve of the exhibit, they were considerate enough to place a note on a pedestal where my cap artwork was supposed to be. Basically, it just says my cap was taken and never found again.
Here are other hats from the exhibit that I particularly like. Anyway, I just feel sad that the artwork I had most wanted to see had been stolen away from me.
Lina Al-Amoudi’s beautiful and well-crafted artwork. It was the winner of the competition.
Typewriter hat. It was another piece that caught my eye.
Once again, we interrupt our regular programming to bring you:
GENIUS: an exhibition of UAE based illustrators
GENIUS features the works of 28 UAE based illustrators working in a range of styles from caricatures to commercial illustration to fine art and then some pushing the boundaries of the medium.
GENIUS will showcase over 60 pieces of work that explore and challenge definitions of illustration, its origins and its future.
Curated by The Domino GENIUS is the 3rd in a series of initiatives that promotes and supports a growing community of talented illustrators in the UAE.
Genius happens on February 1st, at Cartoon Gallery, Al Quoz 1, Dubai.
