Omniyat Center for People of Determination celebrates National Day with art pageant

On the occasion of Eid Al Etihad, the UAE’s celebrations of its 53rd National Day, Omniyat Center for People of Determination, Dubai, launched the ‘Human Vision Art’ exhibition along with a global document titled ‘Ambassador of the Two Visions’ (December 4). The event saw the participation of more than a hundred Arab and international artists in what was a first such show for Omniyat. The motto was ‘Our Difference, Our Painting’ and the exhibition was inaugurated by Dr. Adel Al Marzouqi, Director General of the Center, and Yaqoub Al Ali, Executive Director and Private Advisor at the Office of Sheikh Juma bin Maktoum Al Maktoum.

Emirati pioneer artist and businessman Ahmad Al Awadhi (Rukni), in the company of artist Abdulla Lutfi, whose inspirational art journey includes facing autism, were present on the occasion. The launch of ‘Human Vision Art’ was witnessed by a number of Emirati art icons, media professionals and business leaders. Dr. Adel Al Marzouqi, addressing the audience, said: “Respected artists of ‘Human Vision Art’, you embody the dream of Zayed and Rashid in a world dominated by values of convergence and tolerance, speaking the language of love and peace, and holding one nationality, which is the nationality of humanity.

Artists and art supporters at Omniyat.

“Today, through your participation in this art exhibition, you have become an essential part of promoting cultural diplomacy through the language of drawing, which is the language that we can all ‘speak’ and understand, no matter how different and divergent we are. Today, you have also become ambassadors for the two visions, the vision of Zayed and Rashid and the vision of the Emirates and the Human, as well as the vision and hopes of your societies that you convey to the Emirates. And also the vision of the Emirates to the world, with what you represent in terms of diversity and multiplicity of nationalities.”

He concluded his speech by saying: “Let us along with you, draw from our differences the most beautiful human painting in which the colours are distinguished and different, but similar in heart and aspiration, as you represent beauty in its finest meaning on this earth. And the origin of beauty is light, which is of seven spectra, like the seven Emirates.”

International artist Nada Al Barazi, also the artistic director of the exhibition, took guests on a tour of the paintings. She said: “Today, through our meeting in a visual painting of our works, we express the will to meet and communicate, artistically and visually. We discovered that holding this art exhibition - the real and most prominent painting — is the diversity of nationalities of the participants in it and their meeting on one idea, which is humanity. It is a deep and universal painting, like the vision of the Emirates.”

Close-up view of the artworks.

During the tour, Al Barazi introduced the attendees to the visual “axes” of the exhibition, which were as follows: The axis ‘Zayed, the Homeland of Wishes’, which addressed former President of the United Arab Emirates Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan’s dream of establishing the union and exploring space; ‘My Nationality is Human’, which visually addressed the equality of human essence, and the honorary passport ‘My Nationality is Human’; the third axis ‘Yarween’, which is an Arabic word that means women telling their stories, addressing the role of women as the first seed of home, the educator and teacher, leader, worker and mother, especially the mothers of people of determination; the fourth axis ‘White Hearts’, where the concerns and aspirations of people of determination were depicted; and the fifth axis ‘We Volunteer to Innovate’, where the artist drew till he created a smile on the faces of the viewers in his painting. The axes formed the official slogan for the ‘My Nationality is Human’ march held the following day in Zabeel Park’s Dubai Frame on the occasion of International Volunteer Day.

Dr. Adel Al Marzouqi, Yaqoub Al Ali and Ahmad Al Awadhi (Rukni) honoured artists with the honorary passport ‘Ambassador of the Two Visions’, making them the recipients of the title ‘Accredited Humanitarian Ambassador’ of the Omniyat Center for People of Determination. Omniyat Center for People of Determination (Omniyat means “wishes”) is an institution concerned with developing methods, techniques and approaches for the rehabilitation and care of people of determination. “We chose this name referring to our belief that all challenges and success stories began with small wishes and dreams,” it says.

Nada Al Barazi is an internationally acclaimed artist, celebrated for her brushwork and vivid oil and acrylic paintings. She is an Ambassador of the Omniyat Center for People of determination where she supports people of determination by providing art workshops, artistic activities and events for them. She has a rich portfolio of exhibitions spanning across major cities like New York, Paris, London, Rome, Tokyo, Florence, Miami, Istanbul and Monaco, and is a member of Dubai Business Women Council and The Art Association in Geneva. Nada is an active advocate for the arts.

A holder of the Golden Visa conferred by Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, her accolades include the ‘Best Artistic Achievement’ award from Magzoid Emerging Art Icons (2023) and ‘Best Oil Painter’ award from Being She Excellence Business and Professional Awards (2023). Nada’s commitment to supporting the art community and emerging and young artists, stems from her belief that the arts are fundamental to humanity.