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Seven murals have been designed with the mission of installing creative art pieces in public places and making Dubai an open-air museum
The Festival themed ‘Celebrating Art, Celebrating Growth’, is showcasing seven murals by creative artists from the UAE and the region

Dubai- 21 March 2022: Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood in Dubai, the venue for the 10th edition of the Sikka Art and Design Festival, an initiative of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), has turned into an inspiring space for many promising artists to unleash their imaginations. For this edition of the Festival, eight artists from the UAE and the region have created murals inspired by the spirit of the place and enhanced the cultural, civilizational, and aesthetic heritage of the Emirate. These Sikka 2022 Murals will serve as iconic long-term artworks, which will adorn the Al Fahidi Neighbourhood even after the Festival concludes.
Noor Khalfan AlRoumi, Sikka Art & Design Festival 2022 Project Manager, affirmed that the murals have been made as part of the Public Art Strategy implemented by the Authority, which aims to make Dubai an open-air museum and global art exhibition, with exceptional and unique artistic experiences. Dubai Culture commissioned young graffiti artists to enrich this year’s edition of the Festival with inspiring murals in line with its theme ‘Celebrating Art, Celebrating Growth,’ affirming that these murals will become part of the Al Fahidi Neighbourhood and will not be removed after the Festival concludes. This is also evidence of the thriving creative movement in the emirate that enhances the aesthetics of the place and allows the public to access art everywhere, not only in art galleries, which reinforces Dubai's position as a destination for cultural tourism and as a place to live, work and visit, in line with the ‘'Dubai Destinations - Dubai Art Season' campaign launched under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Media Council.

Beauty Tree
The Festival launched on 15 March, showcases seven beautiful and innovative murals in design and theme, executed by male and female artists from UAE and the region led by Emirati artist Saggaf Al Hashemi and his work 'Al Fahidi Beauty Tree’ that embodies his vision of peace, beauty, and love. It is a three-dimensional artwork inspired by the theme of the Festival created with an aim to let the audience see and interact with it.
Tree of Wisdom
In another mural of the festival, the Malaysian-Chinese artist Gary Yong in his work called Tree of Wisdom combines abstract and figurative style. Young's mural centres on wisdom as a human value, with essence to explore the roots of creativity and knowledge. He sees that a single thought or idea can grow and expand and that it is contagious and has the power to inspire and influence minds.
I-Live
The I-Live mural by Russian artist Evgenia Silvina and Belgian artist Grimm Van Gestel showcases an alternate dimension to I-Live. Energy flows between the mind, the soul and the body allowing us the choice of creation or destruction. The android character pulses its visions into the world by opening multiple perceptions and realities, illuminating a vibrant world full of creative possibilities. The projection on the mural will consist of various images of nature, computer data running combined with visuals of Dubai life.
Tech Naash
As for the Bahraini artist, Mahmoud Al-Sharqawi, known by his stage name Huvil, his creation the Tech Naash showcases a compromise between heritage and technology, in an invitation to seize the joy of both, by leading a traditional dance in a virtual urban world at the steps of the future generation.
Music Sounds Better with You
The mural 'Music Sounds Better with You’ by the Egyptian artist residing in Bahrain Perryhan El Ashmawi represents the concept of convergence between the spirit of culture and contemporary innovations.
Explaining her idea, she said, “Innovations in the fields of technology, experiences, and modern trends have become an influential part in various aspects of life, from work, entertainment, communication, and relationships, and with them, traditional ways of life are transformed to others that are more advanced. My mural is in line with the Festival's theme and Al Fahidi spirit, as it explores the beauty that comes from mixing ancient and modern.”
Sisterhood
Sisterhood, a collective mural by French artists Anne Laure Romagny and Robin Chloe-Azaide, highlights couture divas taking a spin to Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood. Unapologetically feminine, the artwork is a melting pot of traditions, cultures, avant-garde fashion, street style and patterns in one huge explosion of colours. All of which qualify both Azaide and Anne-Laure’s work.
20-metre-long mural
With the participation of the New Zealand Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, a 20-metre mural is being displayed to the public at Al Seef, as an extension of the Sikka Art and Design Festival before being shipped back to New Zealand. The mural was completed from January 27 to 31 at Expo 2020’s Al Forsan Park. This street art activation was presented by the New Zealand Pavilion's Entertainment and Culture Sector, which aligned with the theme of Care for People and Place.
Sikka Art and Design Festival is a unique celebration of visual and performing arts and films, which annually takes place in the alleyways of Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood in March under the umbrella of the Dubai Art Season (DAS). Themed ‘Celebrating Art, Celebrating Growth’, the tenth edition of the Festival is being held under its new umbrella, Sikka Art and Design Platform, that aims to support emerging artists on their professional journey. This year, the Festival embodies the thriving art scene in Dubai, which consolidates the emirate's position on the global cultural map.
For more information and to learn about the activities of Sikka Art and Design Festival 2022, you can follow the festival’s official Instagram account @sikkaplatform; Or the Festival's official website https://www.sikkartandesign.com/ and see the updates of its daily activities.