Emaar pays homage to Arabian wildlife

The majestic and graceful stride of the Arabian camel is taking centrestage in Downtown Dubai, with Donald Greig’s new life-size sculpture titled ‘Camels.’

Featuring a trio, including an adult camel, its calf, and another one resting, Camels is a powerful artistic representation that stands apart for its portrayal of the physical anatomy and behavioural traits of the Arabian camels, created after thousands of hours of riding and observing the elegant animals.

Having previously celebrated the aesthetic elegance of horses, with Vincent Da Silva’s Life Size Andalucian I, Downtown Dubai is bringing another animal that is integrally linked to the Arab society with Camels. The sculpture is an awe-inspiring piece of work that depicts the relaxed yet resilient nature of the animal, while bringing out its herd instincts.

The wonderful-trio of camels weighs 800 kilograms, with each camel as tall as 3m, 1.9m, and 1.3m, respectively. Created in clay over a steel and polystyrene armature, Camels was moulded into silicone, and casted into wax. After dipping each sculpture into 15 layers of ceramic, they were then topped off with molten bronze.

In all, Greig spent eight months to create the original sculpture, and four months for the foundry to be cast in bronze. The models were then treated with various chemicals and heated to create subtle hues of bronze.

Ahmad Al Matrooshi, Managing Director, Emaar Properties PJSC, said: “The gracious and majestic Arabian camel is a reminder of our past and a cue of how significantly the city has evolved. Donald Greig’s Camelsis a seamless fit into Downtown Dubai’s collection of sculptures and artworks from around the world by accomplished artists.”

Greig added: “I look forward to viewing Camels in the heart of this magnificent city, which, in my mind, is home to some of the world’s greatest engineering and architectural feats of the 21st century.”

Educated at Michaelhouse College in Natal, South Africa, Greig holds a degree in Gemmology from the Gemmological Institute of America. An avid wildlife enthusiast, Greig is one of Africa’s most prolific sculptors and takes pride in producing works that are true to proportion, with attention to detail.

Downtown Dubai’s collection of artworks also include: Colombian figurative artist Fernando Botero’s Horse 2007;Al Sidra, a free-shaped bronze sculpture by Kuwaiti sculptor Sami Mohamed Al Saleh; Syrian artist Lutfi Romhein’s Together featuring two sculptures of an Arab man and woman chiselled to perfection; Spanish sculptor Xavier Corbero’s Gathering, a collection of ten figurine sculptures made of basalt; Korean sculptor Jaeyhoo Lee’s Chorus; and South African sculptor Vincent Da Silva’s Rhims Gazelle Herd Edition 1.

Described as ‘The Centre of Now’ and the most prestigious square kilometre on earth, Downtown Dubai will also feature The Opera District, announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to further stimulate the city’s cultural and artistic scene.