Artistic mural adorns the facade of Al Safa Art and Design Library

Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) is embarking on a project to enrich the local art scene with an artistic gypsum mural adorning the facade of Al Safa Art and Design Library. This artistic masterpiece draws inspiration from Dubai’s heritage, showcasing its cultural diversity and the vibrancy of its contemporary art scene. This initiative, part of the ongoing renovation efforts for the space, aligning with Dubai Culture’s Dubai Public Art strategy, seeks to transform the emirate into an open, accessible, and global art gallery. This strategy presents artistic experiences that enhance visual culture, foster innovation, enrich the cultural and artistic sector, and support Dubai’s creative economy.

This mural by Lebanese artist Chafa Ghaddar is part of Dubai Culture’s efforts to nurture a sustainable creative environment, attracting and empowering creatives to express their future aspirations in the local cultural scene. It aligns with the vision of cementing Dubai’s position as a global centre for culture, an incubator for creativity, and a thriving hub for talent. The mural reimagines the library’s architectural design and highlights the beauty and precision of Islamic ornamentation which was part of Al Safa Library before the restoration. Ghaddar employs the classical ceramic technique Azulejos, influenced by Portuguese architectural heritage and ancient Islamic, Chinese, and Spanish arts. Her work aims to bridge different eras, exploring the relationship between architecture and art.

Ghaddar through her creative work is the result of the artist-in-residence programme Air Dubai, which was held in collaboration with both Art Dubai and Tashkeel, and aims to create a dialogue between different eras by exploring the relationship between architecture and the arts. She utilized the classic Azulejos technique to create a mural consisting of 1200 ceramic pieces coated in blue and white, covered with glass. This technique has proven its adaptability to global cultural and architectural diversity, aligning with Dubai’s architectural heritage.

Lebanese artist Ghaddar, now based in Dubai, holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Fine Arts. Proficient in large gypsum murals, she’s expanded her career to explore wall painting and surface embellishment in a contemporary fashion. These have been showcased in global exhibitions like ‘Strata’ (Dubai Design Week, 2017), ‘The Space of the Avocado Tree’ (Art Dubai, 2018), ‘Made in Formation’ (Formation Center, 2018), and her participation in Tashkeel’s 2018-2019 Critical Practice Programme.