From London to Berlin, Iraqi photographer’s UAE show highlights unity during pandemic

From London to Berlin, Iraqi photographer’s UAE show highlights unity during pandemic
Yamam Nabeel is staging his first exhibition in the region at ICD Brookfield Place, in Dubai. Supplied
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Updated 08 June 2022

From London to Berlin, Iraqi photographer’s UAE show highlights unity during pandemic

From London to Berlin, Iraqi photographer’s UAE show highlights unity during pandemic

DUBAI: While in many ways the trials and tribulations of the coronavirus pandemic years are mostly in the past, there is no denying the impact the health crisis has had on the world.

Artists who worked during the lockdown and restriction periods are now showcasing creations often charged with emotion, grief, and solidarity.

One such artist is London-based Yamam Nabeel, an Iraqi writer and photographer, who is staging his first exhibition in the region at ICD Brookfield Place, in Dubai.

Titled “Waiting for Time/Intersecting Realities” and running until June 30, it presents a series of 29 photographic portraits that narrate the pandemic stories of more than 60 people from all walks of life, and a range of countries and cultures. The images depict the shared experience of navigating the hardships, joys, and grief over the course of the virus outbreak.




“Waiting for Time/Intersecting Realities” is running until June 30. Supplied

Nabeel began creating his work in the English capital during the first lockdown in May and June of 2020. With his 1960s medium‐format Hasselblad and Mamiya 7 cameras, he travelled from London to Berlin and then to Dubai between 2020 and 2022, recording and interviewing people including playwrights, comedians, hospital workers, journalists, and lawyers.

Through his photos, Nabeel has caught moments of waiting, reflection, and joy all shot outdoors in a place of the subject’s choosing. The pictures highlight the shared commonalities and disparities between individuals during the period.

He told Arab News: “My aim was to connect people during a difficult shared experience that the current generation have never experienced.

“It was a time filled with fear, uncertainty, and solitude. We all lived the same reality, locked in our immediate surroundings, waiting for something no one could predict. I wanted to collect individual stories, to weave them together into an interconnected and collective human story.”




The pictures highlight the shared commonalities and disparities between individuals during the pandemic. Supplied

Through the works on display, Nabeel has questioned whether humans will hold onto the unity garnered through tragedy or if previous divisive ways will return.

He said: “As an Iraqi and as an Arab, the word unity resonates greatly with me. My NGO was called FC Unity and used the global power of football to bring people together. Having this exhibition in Dubai, in the UAE, pays homage to that concept.

“Unity is the foundation of this country. Everything I have done in my life was about bringing people together. In times of fear and trauma as well as in times of safety and stability,” he added, in reference to his not-for-profit organization that aims to provide a platform for development and education through football.

Dubai was one of the last cities he visited before the pandemic, in January, and it was the last place he shot in, returning in December just as the omicron variant of COVID-19 reared its head, challenging the world with more uncertainty.

“I decided that it was time to include Dubai and slightly alter the project to show three different global cities at three various times of the pandemic.

“As we were within touching distance of returning to so-called normality, I decided to show Dubai on color film, while showing London and Berlin on black-and-white film. All photographs were taken as medium format, analogue images,” he said.




“Waiting for Time/Intersecting Realities” marks his eighth solo show. Supplied

Born in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, Nabeel was raised in Hungary and later moved to London where he has been living since 1992. He is the son of exiled poet Nabeel Yasin. His family left Iraq in 1980, when he was four years old. They then lived in France, Lebanon, and the former East Germany, before settling in Hungary in 1981.

“My mother tongue is Arabic, my first language is Hungarian, and the language I write and create in is English, but my heart and soul forever remain Iraqi,” he added.

Through his photographic portraits, Nabeel has translated a global crisis into more intimate, individual, and personal stories of each sitter. He is now planning a project in Iraq.

He said: “My aim is to present a new narrative about our wonderfully diverse and interesting culture and heritage to European audiences.”

“Waiting for Time/Intersecting Realities” marks his eighth solo show.

 


Saudi Fashion Commission chief among international panelists at first-ever Egypt Fashion Week

Saudi Fashion Commission chief among international panelists at first-ever Egypt Fashion Week
Updated 25 March 2023

Saudi Fashion Commission chief among international panelists at first-ever Egypt Fashion Week

Saudi Fashion Commission chief among international panelists at first-ever Egypt Fashion Week
  • The event will kick off with an opening night on May 12 at the Egyptian Museum, featuring the “Best of Egyptian Designers” fashion show curated by US stylist Julie Matos, followed by a gala dinner

DUBAI: Saudi Fashion Commission CEO Burak Cakmak is set to speak at the first edition of Egypt Fashion Week, which will take place from May 12 to 15.

The event will also be attended by US fashion blogger Diane Pernet, Nigerian entrepreneur Omoyemi Akerele and co-founder of the Egyptian Fashion & Design Council Austrian Egyptian Susan Sabet.

Sabet said in a statement: “We are very proud and grateful to have won over so many distinguished speakers and major worldwide media partners and attendance to ensure that all eyes will be on Egyptian fashion.”

The second two days of the event will be held at the Museum of Agriculture. (Supplied)

The fashion week, which has been in the making for about four years, is titled “Past, Present & Future” and is set to celebrate Egypt’s rich heritage and civilization, inspired by its culture, and to show the world Egypt’s present.

“Inspired by the rising number of emerging designers and growth of the local fashion industry, we knew the time had come to show the world our pool of creative talents and local cotton and textile industry,” Sabet added.

“The EFW program goes far beyond fashion shows and exhibitions and aims to connect the local, African and Middle Eastern markets through design, craftsmanship, education, sustainability, production and retail.”

The fashion week is set to celebrate Egypt’s rich heritage and civilization. (Supplied)

The event will kick off with an opening night on May 12 at the Egyptian Museum, featuring the “Best of Egyptian Designers” fashion show curated by US stylist Julie Matos, followed by a gala dinner.

The following two days will be held at the Museum of Agriculture, one of the most important museums of its kind in the world, which will open its doors for the first time after five years of renovation for EFW.

The museum traces the history of agriculture and cotton in Egypt from prehistory to modernity, acknowledging agriculture as the basis on which Ancient Egyptians built a civilization.

The fashion week’s guests will discover designer exhibitions curated by the Saudi Fashion Commission, Lagos Fashion Week, Jordan Fashion Week and GTEX-ITC.

EFW will also host panel talks by local, regional and international industry leaders in the fields of design, education, craftsmanship, production, retail, sustainability, women’s empowerment and finance.

Launchmetrics, a partner of New York and Paris fashion weeks, is EFW’s logistics partner.


Ramadan Recipes: Flavorful lamb haleem for hearty iftar

Ramadan Recipes: Flavorful lamb haleem for hearty iftar
Updated 25 March 2023

Ramadan Recipes: Flavorful lamb haleem for hearty iftar

Ramadan Recipes: Flavorful lamb haleem for hearty iftar

DUBAI: Popular in the Middle East, and south and central Asia, lamb haleem, a type of stew, is a staple dish in Ramadan.

Although it varies from region to region, it optionally includes wheat or barley, meat, and lentils.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by (@prashantchipkar)

It is made by blending or mashing the meat in the curry and serving hot with flat breads or on its own.

Here, Prashant Chipkar Qureshi, the culinary head chef at Masti Cocktails and Cuisine, shares his lamb haleem recipe for a hearty iftar.

Lamb haleem is made by blending or mashing the meat in the curry. (Shutterstock)

Ingredients:

200 grams broken wheat

200 grams boneless lamb

2 grams red chili powder

50 grams yogurt

30ml ghee

5 grams mint

50 grams yellow moong dal

10 grams ginger garlic paste

2 grams turmeric

50-gram onion

50 grams haleem masala

20 grams coriander leaves

1-piece green chilies

Salt, to taste

Lemon wedges, 1 lemon

2 grams garam masala powder

1 gram peppercorns

1 cinnamon stick

50 grams cashew nuts

Method:

To prepare this popular delicacy, wash and soak the broken wheat for half an hour. Trim the lamb (boneless) of any excess fat. Add the lamb to a vassal with about one cup of water and put it over a medium flame. Fry the onion until golden brown and set aside.

To the lamb, add half a tablespoon of ginger and garlic paste, half a teaspoon of salt, red chilli powder and garam masala powder, along with a pinch of turmeric powder. Cook the mixture for eight to 10 minutes and simmer for another 15 to 20 minutes. Shred and keep aside.

Boil the broken wheat along with the yellow moong dal with a tablespoon of ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, green chillies, and peppercorns in eight cups of water until it is cooked completely, and the water is absorbed. Blend this mix for a few seconds.

Heat the oil in another container and add whole spices including a cinnamon stick, cooked and shredded lamb, the remaining green chillies, haleem masala, and half a cup of fresh coriander, and saute for two to three minutes. Add curd and saute for another 10 to 15 minutes. Add three cups of water and bring to a boil.

To this, add the blended broken wheat and dal mixture and mix well while adding a little ghee as you go. Let it simmer and cook slowly for at least 30 minutes. Serve hot garnished with fried onions prepared in step one, mint leaves, cashew nuts, lemon wedges, and the remaining fresh coriander.


Georgina Rodriguez named ambassador for Arab brand Amara Lenses

Georgina Rodriguez named ambassador for Arab brand Amara Lenses
Updated 24 March 2023

Georgina Rodriguez named ambassador for Arab brand Amara Lenses

Georgina Rodriguez named ambassador for Arab brand Amara Lenses

DUBAI: Argentine model Georgina Rodriguez on Thursday was announced as the ambassador for Arab brand Amara Lenses, available in the Gulf region.

“I’m so happy to be the face of Amara Lenses and it’s been wonderful to work with you,” she said in a video shared on the brand’s Instagram page.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Amara Lenses (@amaralenses)

Amara Lenses has previously collaborated with regional influencers including Saudi makeup artist Shouq Artist, Kuwaiti fashion blogger Fouz Al-Fahad, Bahraini content creator Zainab Al-Alwan, Kuwaiti influencer Fatima Al-Momen, Egyptian actress Nour Ghandour and more.

However, the partnership with Rodriguez is the brand’s first with an international star.

The Arab brand sells lenses in various shades of grey, brown, green and blue. 


Christine Quinn stuns in a Nicolas Jebran gown in Los Angeles

Christine Quinn stuns in a Nicolas Jebran gown in Los Angeles
Updated 24 March 2023

Christine Quinn stuns in a Nicolas Jebran gown in Los Angeles

Christine Quinn stuns in a Nicolas Jebran gown in Los Angeles

DUBAI: “Selling Sunset” star Christine Quinn stunned this week wearing a silver gown by Lebanese designer Nicolas Jebran in Los Angeles. 

The reality TV star wore a strapless dress that gathered at one hip to the 2023 Fashion Trust Awards. 

Quinn, who is a real estate agent, paired the satin gown with colorful beaded boots that had 3D floral patterns in hues of burgundy, white and silver. 

Quinn paired the satin gown with colorful beaded boots. (AFP)

She was joined on the grey carpet by her partner Christian Richard, who is a retired tech entrepreneur. 

The event was also attended by Heidi Klum, Alessandra Ambrosio, Kate Beckinsale and more. 

Fashion Trust US is a non-profit organization dedicated to “discovering, funding, and nurturing young design talent with the aim of helping them build their label into a thriving global brand.” 


Model Imaan Hammam stars in new H&M, Mugler campaign 

Model Imaan Hammam stars in new H&M, Mugler campaign 
Updated 24 March 2023

Model Imaan Hammam stars in new H&M, Mugler campaign 

Model Imaan Hammam stars in new H&M, Mugler campaign 

DUBAI: Dutch Moroccan Egyptian model Imaan Hammam has landed herself another campaign, this time for a collaboration collection between Swedish high-street retailer H&M and French fashion label Mugler.

In the short teaser video Hammam shared on her Instagram stories, three artists are singing in a recording studio until Hammam suddenly breaks down the wall and walks into the scene.

Rising singers Amaarae, Shygirl, Eartheater, and Arca star in the campaign video. They recorded their own take on Stardust’s 1998 dance hit “Music Sounds Better with You.”

Discussions for the collaboration began before founder Manfred Thierry Mugler’s passing in January 2022.

The capsule will be available online and in stores from May 11.

The collection is being crafted under the direction of Mugler’s creative director Casey Cadwallader and will encapsulate “the unique and vibrant spirit of the brand,” H&M said in a statement.

Casey Cadwallader and Ann-Sofie Johansson. (H&M)

The silhouette of the collection is the recognizable Mugler fit of today: Strong, big shoulders, a tight focus on the waist, an ode to the curves and lines of the body, and a tribute to confidence.

Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M’s creative adviser, said: “We are proud to celebrate the legacy of Manfred Thierry Mugler with this collection. We were all honored to get to know Manfred, and it feels very special that he was involved at the initial stages together with Casey and the house of Mugler.

“Casey has done such an incredible job at paying homage to history, and to the archive, while making the collection totally contemporary. Under him, Mugler has become one of the most innovative and exciting houses on today’s fashion landscape,” she added.

Cadwallader said: “It is truly an honor to collaborate with H&M. The collection is a celebration of everything that defines Mugler as a house and each piece is authentic Mugler, from the bodysuits, which have become a signature of ours, to the sharp tailoring and worked denims. It is a showcase of our icons.”