Arab artists: Jalal challenges conventional techniques through digital art

Emirati artist Jalal Luqman was born in 1967 in the United Arab Emirates capital, Abu Dhabi. His father was a jurist and his mother was a homemaker, and Luqman was the youngest of 12 children. From that conventional upbringing, Luqman has emerged as the most provocative Emirati artist.

His work has broken new ground, creating strikingly unconventional and controversial characters using digital art. Jalal has always managed to challenge his fans through the subject matter in his art and also the method in which his art is created. He is also thought to be the first digital artist to combine metal and digital art.

Emirati artist Jalal Luqman

“If one medium does not deliver the emotion I want in my artwork, I will reach out to another medium that will,” Luqman said.

Luqman realized his talent quite early in his childhood. His teacher at school used to put him a corner as a punishment for drawing on books, but he would take advantage of that time and come up with ideas for future art creations. He now uses digital paints from up to 9 different computer programs, implanting them in industrial metal, creating three-dimensional and mind-blowing imagery, in an attempt to exceed the boundaries of the frame directly into the onlooker’s psyche.

Jalal’s work is a mix between modern digital art and dark, gothic sculptures, attempting to create unique pieces of work reflecting his subconscious.

“My artwork may not look very attractive, but it has significant connotations,” he said.

One of his most famous pieces of work, called “Invisible Giant Sculpture,” took seven months to complete and measures three meters high.

Today, Luqman has become an important name on the Emirati art scene. For over 18 years, he has conducted seminars and workshops in schools, colleges and universities, and also served as a spokesman promoting art in the UAE, serving as an important member of the UAE delegations.

Luqman’s in-your-face approach has broken much new ground. As the first Emirati digital artist, he was also the first freelance Emirati graphic designer and, in 2006, co-founded the Ghaf Art Gallery, the first contemporary art space to open in Abu Dhabi. He has also held exhibitions in the UAE, New York, Tokyo, Egypt, Kuwait, Morocco, Beijing and the Czech Republic.

“To me, artists have a special mission in life. We take reality, run it through our minds, mix it with past experiences, feel the surroundings, smell the air, feel the light and darkness then put it all together in a piece of art,” the artist said.

To read more and view Jalal Luqman’s art please follow the link:

http://enawafeth.alarabiya.net/content/he-defied-critic-who-accused-uae-artists-choosing-easier-methods