Artist spotlight: Emirati artist Abdulla Lutfi
The illustrious Emirati illustrator…
He may be a young artist, but he’s already racked up quite the portfolio of creative achievements. He worked with popular marketplace noon in 2024 to create a cool illustration clad delivery bag (one piece of packaging that we’ve made sure to held onto). His art is displayed on a 46-metre-long wall between Concourses B and C at DXB Terminal 3; his work also graced the cover of the Emirates’ inflight entertainment (IFE) guide; and he collaborated with popular street artist, Maddy Butcher to create a mural at Kite Beach for Converse. He’s also had his work displayed at the major art festivals in Dubai including World Art Dubai and Sikka Art and Design Festival.
Abdulla Lutfi, or, A.L. as he prefers to be called, is a 31-year-old artist on the autism spectrum. But that hasn’t hampered his creativity or success.
Quite the contrary, A.L. considers himself an ambassador for People of Determination and is on a mission to enable special needs artists to find and share their own unique style, “so they too can be seen, heard, loved, and accepted in the same manner that he has.”
If you want to see his work, head over to Mestaria Gallery at Alserkal Avenue where his solo exhibition Luffy x Lufti: Emirati Manga will be on display until January 2, 2025.
The exhibition showcases a blend of cultures, pieces inspired by Japanese cartoon styles and contextualised by UAE culture. A number of his black and white canvases dot the walls, showcasing Emirati men and women with anime-like features. Some frames seem as if they’re page stripped right from a comic book, while other examples feature a single scene with large speech bubbles with relatable quotes, drawing warm smiles from gallery visitors.
Often cartoonish in theme and aesthetic, with striking monochrome lines, his illustrations are rich with warmth and empathy. You’ll often find humour, as well as humanity, in A.L. originals reflecting his upbeat personality. He feels that his small canvases with funny writing and honest quotes are what people like most about his work.
One of our personal favourites… An Emirati riding on a camel (also adorning a ghutra) in the desert with the caption ‘Habibi Come to Dubai!!!’
They may look like prints, but his art is all hand-drawn. For some pieces he sketches digitally, using a stylus pen on a computer screen. And it’s always in black and white. They animate the stories of Emirati life and frequently feature iconic UAE including the Burj Khalifa, Museum of the Future, Sheikh Zayed Mosque and the Dubai Frame. And it’s this signature A.L. style that makes his work so instantly recognisable.
His love for drawing began in the 7th grade. To broaden his talent, he later joined Mawaheb, an art studio for adults with special needs. Here he met his mentor, Gulshan Kavarana who helped him reach his true potential. She was the one who asked him to draw a caricature of an Emirati man and woman – an element that became a staple theme in his drawings. In an interview with Dubai One, his art mentor Kavarana says that despite having studied art for a long time, she is now the one learning from Abdulla Lufti.
When it comes to fans of his work, it appears we’re all in good company, as A.L. tells us proudly of the time he met HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, who purchased a number of his artworks.
In between hosting exhibitions and collaborations and rubbing shoulders with royalty, A.L. creates his art in a studio at The Next Chapter in Al Fahidi District 10. Here, he also teaches children to sketch out their own masterpieces. “They love being taught by me” he tells us, smiling “they listen very well’’.
What does an artist do to relax in Dubai? A.L. tells us he meets up with cousins over the weekend and drives his 4×4 truck to the desert, playing video games and watching funny videos.
A.L. is already thinking about his next exhibition, and while no solid plans are in place yet, we are sure he will be ready to display his work in the near future. You can stay up to date with the artist on his social channels, @abdullalutfi
If you want to hang one of his creations in your own home, you can visit his art studio The Next Chapter in Al Fahidi District. You can also purchase an NFT of his work which is available on his website, abdullalutfi.com
Images: Supplied
