Manar Elbaz

DUBAI: World Art Dubai (WAD) returned for its 10th edition from May 2 to 5 and celebrated Japanese culture by displaying over 250 works by more than 50 Japanese artists, strengthening the relations between Japan and the UAE in the field of art. 

WAD is the region’s biggest contemporary art exhibition, hosting more than 4,000 artworks from 65 artists from all over the world. This year’s edition took place at World Trade Center. 

The Japanese artists hall was part of Japan Promotion’s ‘Japan Tide’ project, which was established in 2017 to introduce Japanese artists to Middle Eastern audiences and help them get global recognition. 

The event welcomed Japanese artists in various art fields, such as drawing, kimono making, ceramic artists, and more. 

Japanese artist Masao Hatayama returned to World Art Dubai to display his pop art drawings as well as do a live art performance at WAD’s main stage. He showcased landscape drawings of Dubai mixed with Japanese elements using his vibrant style. 

“I get my inspiration from manga and anime,” he told Arab News Japan. “I mix it with the traditional Japanese art style of ukiyo-e.” 

From 2017, he has been displaying his art all over the world. At WAD, he told Arab News Japan that he received a lot of praise for his art and sold some of his pieces during the exhibition. “I like being in Dubai because it brings together different people from all over the world,” he shared. 

Moreover, kimono brand KIMONO RINGO presented their indigo-dried kimonos at World Art Dubai for the first time, presenting a unique take on regular kimonos. “This is our first time at the exhibition. We brought our original kimonos to Dubai. Our technique (indigo drying) is our art,” the brand’s artists told Arab News Japan. 

“Our kimonos are suitable for all seasons and they represent our culture. Our dying material makes it unique,” they added. 

Furthermore, many Japanese artists performed on WAD’s stages throughout the fair, like calligraphy performances by Japanese artists YUI and Airi Hara as well as a cherry blossom painting by Mari Nishimura.