Najla Albastaki is a talented Emarati artist who is using her creative talents to celebrate the beautiful Emarati culture and heritage. Her striking portraits reflect the noble characters of the nation’s leaders as well as the people. We had a pleasure of talking to Najla to learn more about her art.
Could you tell us more about yourself ?
I am from Dubai and I have a home business for brownies and other pastries, and love everything about coffee & baking because I feel it’s a part of art.
How long have you been creating?
I’ve been drawing since I was a child and in 2005 i started to be more serious about my art by attending courses and participating in art exhibitions in United Arab Emirates.
What subjects inspire you the most?
I enjoy drawing faces that have interesting expressions and textures, and I love drawing our leaders because they inspire our nation.
You draw Sheikh Zayed a lot, what fascinates you the most about the founder of UAE?
Shaikh zayed was the father of the Emarati nation, he was a great leader who united the emirates and the people. He is lovingly called “Baba Zayed” (Father Zayed) by Emiratis and is highly respected by the expats as well.
What portraits you enjoyed drawing lately and why?
I enjoyed drawing Shaikh Mohamed bin Rashid – he is a great leader and is one of my favourite subjects. I usually draw portraits during happy occasions like the winning of the house race by Shaikh Mohamed & Shaikh Hamdan, National Days & Hazaa AlMansouri coming back from space.
Do you see you art as a way to promote and preserve Emarati culture?
Art is a great form of expressing and preserving heritage and I am happy to use my skills to celebrate our beautiful culture.
To see more of Najla’s art follow her on her Instagram account @Najla889
