The sleek lines of a vintage car.

Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer

Born and raised in Dubai, Indian artist Mahnaz Rafiq Javid began her educational journey in Indian School Muscat, Oman. She later pursued a bachelor’s degree in business from St. Agnes College in India. Regardless of how she lived her life or followed her studies, Mahnaz says her love and liking for art remained constant. After graduation, she found the opportunity to delve deeper into the world of art. She enrolled in courses at private institutions to improve her oil painting skills, later enhancing it with mentors from Dubai International Art Centre. With an eye on creating diversity, she experimented with different kinds of mediums, such as texture painting, decoupage art, hand embroidery, and the intricate technique of artistic wax candle making. “My art journey is ongoing,” she says, “and each new endeavour broadens my creative boundaries.”

Mahnaz has shown her work in a number of exhibitions in the UAE and at international fairs. She would like each piece she crafts to convey a unique story about life. She encourages visitors to analyse and uncover their own personal connections to her art, inviting all to embrace the beauty and power of art as a universal language. She is also an entrepreneur, being CEO of Desert Bloom properties and founder of the Ivymode line of jewellery. As an artist, she has an ongoing affaire de coeur (affair of the heart) with vintage cars. “Since I was a little child,” she says, “I have been enthralled by vintage cars. I used to be fascinated by the detailing of every component of the cars, which involved very little technology, especially those made by skilled artisans.

“That was the golden age of simplicity and grace. I started my work in 2018, to bring the raw beauty of early 20th century motor cars back to life in the 21st century. My goal in painting vintage cars is to depict the personality and significance of these treasured vehicles and their past. My painterly collection includes StutsBearcat 1928, Cord 810/812 1979, Cadillac Grill Guard 1939, Mercedes Benz 170s 1949, Buick Electra 1959, besides many other vehicles. I’m now working on adding to this. My aim is to capture the character and historical importance of these beloved vintage cars.” Mahnaz Rafiq Javid revs up her answers for Gulf Today

  Mahnaz Rafiq Javid is based in the UAE.

How is your art related to your business, your global academic upbringing and multiple inspirations in art making?

Since I was in primary school, art has been part of my life. The journey of creating artwork, from the excitement of inception to the satisfaction of completion, is just like fuelling my soul for any other important activity in my life. Art has kept me going, both academically and professionally.

Is art therapeutic?

The realm of art is where we are able to express our own ideas. The process of making art makes us feel as though we are on a different planet, where we are delighted by the concepts, methods, colours, and textures. It’s like taking a vacation from our hectic lives and finding inner tranquility.

How is art a medium for self-reflection?

Creating artwork is an ideal and non-judgmental approach to processing and expressing feelings. We express our feelings through art, and those feelings define who we are. This is self-reflection.

You practice a wide variety of art making. Wouldn’t better results show if you specialised in one art form?

Learning different techniques has been my pleasure, and I’m confident these experiments will lead me to my own unique style of art in the future.

Why do you like painting in oils?

I work in all mediums, but oil paint has its own richness, and I enjoy working on extreme details with it, with great attention and patience. I feel oil paint is the best medium for still life and realistic art.

What are the stories your art narrates?

My paintings from the vintage car series take us to the beginning of the twentieth century, preserving the character of old-time pathways, lampposts, structures, and walkways. I brought that to life in my paintings; the art itself radiates the elegance and regalness of those times.

Why are you attracted to vintage cars?

In my childhood, I was enthralled by the illustrations in fairy tale story books that I read. I was fascinated by the sleek, bold, and classy appearance of the cars shown there and wanted to create something similar on my own. After a lot of preparation and effort, I was able to complete my vintage car series in 2024.

Which is your favourite vintage car you have painted? Why was it a favourite?

My favourite vintage car is a 1938 Cadillac Series 60 I created in 2023. It’s my favourite because it was my dream to capture this car on the canvas for a long, long, time. That was my first completed car project with oil paint, and for the first time that I displayed a car series. This was at the Taj Palace hotel in Mumbai, organised by Dubai International Art Centre. It was also the first time guests acknowledged me as a vintage car artist.

Vintage cars have a market. Do their paintings have one too?

Indeed, there is a huge demand for vintage classic car paintings around the world, and there are very few artists working on the subject of realistic vintage cars. I feel proud when someone values my work and considers it worth paying for.