A composition titled Elephant in Bloom.

Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer

Indian artist Zahra Goulamhoussen’s art is influenced by her most significant interests: wildlife and Islamic architecture. The former inspired most of her early work and she portrayed this using animal juxtapositions in an ornate style, making her pieces seem surreal yet relatable. She responds to black and white, both in the literal and metaphoric sense. Yet she likes that little splash of colour too. She relocated to the Middle East in 2016 from London and her artwork has been heavily influenced by the detailed and intricate architecture of this region. The symmetry and organic patterns in the interiors and exteriors of monumental Islamic structures inspire her. It is reflected in her complex, detailed compositions. Her ornamented works include designs that incorporate Islamic and Asian patterns, resulting in a fusion of cultural art forms. She works in inks, acrylics and charcoal to give greater depth and strength, and her art not infrequently resonates with her Indian roots. Most of her latest pieces incorporate Mandalas, portraying underlying journeys, formulating decorated compositions. Zahra Goulamhoussen speaks to Gulf Today  

Can you tell us about your journey to Dubai?

I was born and raised in Mumbai, where I completed my schooling. I later went to the UK to study for my undergraduate degree at the University of Warwick. I graduated with an Honours in Economics. After that, I landed my first job in banking and moved to London, one of my favourite cities worldwide. During this time, I met my now husband, who also moved back to Dubai shortly after. It was after our marriage I came to Dubai, in 2016. It has been home to me ever since.

How did you connect with art in the UAE?

Art came into my life very unexpectedly. My mother is an artist, and while I took a sabbatical from the banking world before moving to the UAE, I played around with some of her sketchbooks and rapidly started falling in love with them. In my first year in Dubai, I became interested in creating art that could find its place in people’s homes, offices, hotels, and similar places. I spent hours after work working on my first collection. Later that year, I applied to showcase my work at World Art Dubai (WAD). I got a call a couple of months later saying the curators liked my work; that’s when it all started. I did my first show in early 2017.

  Zahra Goulamhoussen is based in Dubai.

Do you recall the first artwork you made here or presented here? What was it and where?

It was a very intricate ornate lion piece, which was also the centerpiece of my first show at WAD. It was also the first piece that I ever sold. It was called Beauty is the Beast and is still extremely special. It’s in the home of a collector in Dubai!

What has been your experience as an artist in the UAE?

It’s been pretty epic.The UAE gave me my first break as an artist. My debut show in 2017 began an unexpected and very fulfilling art career. The mural I created for The Junction, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, is probably one of my most seen and loved pieces. There has been an extraordinary opportunity to display and promote artwork across the UAE with WAD, DIFC Art Nights, Index, and other industrial-scale shows. But there have also been the most intimate ones, such as UAE 46 at the Etihad Towers and at Tashkeel Gallery, that I’ve had the pleasure to be a part of. The artist community is extremely inclusive, and growing rapidly. The UAE constantly does a ton to develop art and culture in many ways and shows have grown from strength to strength.

What were your early inspirations as an artist?

My early inspirations - and even current inspirations — come from wildlife and architecture. All the beautifully intricate designs/patterns you see in palaces, mosques, temples, churches, forts and other historical monuments, inspire me. The patterns and details you find in historic structures in this region and worldwide, have my heart. I could spend hours admiring them and even more, trying to recreate them and add a contemporary spin. I have used patterns from Mughal architecture, Rajput architecture and Islamic geometry across this region in my works. In terms of my inspiration that comes from wildlife, my main inspiration comes from lions. There is something about their grandeur and royalty that speaks to me. It dominates most of my early work.

Specify the mediums and genres of art you work in.

My primary choice of medium is acrylic on canvas, though my work started with pigment inks on paper. I also enjoy using wood as a base for my artwork and have painted directly on furniture. A close second to canvas for me would be mural work. 

Tell us about your upcoming projects.

I am doing a mural project at a wellness studio and am also working on my 2024 collection for my solo show in May. This new collection is heavily inspired by Persian carpets. Although these traditional carpets drive the concept designs, the patterns I have used are a blend of Indian Rajasthani detail work along with intricate designs from this region. The seemingly traditional artworks have been given a contemporary feel with abstract elements added to them. The varying colour palettes across the collection will ensure something for everyone.