DUBAI: Saudi artist Nujood Al-Otaibi says she feels lucky to have become one of the first artists to be awarded a residency at Dubai’s Studio Thirteen – a special initiative led by the McLaren F1 team and Vuse to help underrepresented artists.
“I'm still in the process of creating my own style as well as my identity. And because I have changed my style from hyper realistic to abstract, I feel that luckily that change came at the right time in my life to help me extend my knowledge,” the 35-year-old told Arab News.
“Every artist, in their emergent time, needs a mentor to support them and to guide them. Especially in residency, there will also be a community of partners who will help one open my eyes and I will be able to gain more knowledge. Being a part of an artist community is amazing,” she added.
Through the residency, Al-Otaibi will have access to the funded studio space housed in Studio Thirteen, the home of artist Rabab Tantawy, who designed the McLaren car livery at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Tantawy will mentor other artists in the residency.
With affordable studios becoming rare, this studio space aims to provide a creative hub for artists like Al-Otaibi to hone their craft over the next five to six months.
For Al-Otaibi, who is known for her work inspired by her own hearing loss at the age of five, the residency is also a platform for her to affect change and inspire others to live in their own truth.
“I feel like the more people go out and talk about themselves and the challenges they face, the more it inspires others. So, I feel like other people would understand and be like, ‘Oh, yeah, we have to help people who have challenges. I want to encourage creatives with disabilities to step out and not be ashamed or scared of people’s judgements,” she said.
“After expressing my emotions and telling my story, everyone was very supportive. I was not expecting that. I thought no one would support me, no one would understand. But once I let it out, it was amazing. So, now, I wish I can tell everyone that you can do it, too.”
