São Paulo – With great delicateness, Shayma Al Mughairy, the first sand artist from the Arab world, created realistic drawings representing the arrival of the Arabs to the country and the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce’s (ABCC) ties with these nations. The show took place at the 4th Economic Forum Brazil & Arab Countries opening, which is occurring on-site in the capital of São Paulo and online.
Shayma’s story came to life in a few minutes, and Arabs appeared planting in a field. Next, using parts of the first drawing, the artist created a moon in one corner and workers in the center harvesting what they had sown. “After I entered the Forum’s website, I had the idea of telling the incredible story of the Arabs coming to Brazil,” the artist told ANBA.
The image was almost completely erased, and the ABCC building appeared, with the date 1952 at the top, and at the bottom were people admiring the Brazilian flag.
Towards the end of the sand presentation, the date on the drawing changed to 2022, and Middle Eastern countries connected to Brazil across the globe through the ABCC. Finally, the entire screen was erased, and Shayma designed the logo and name of the institution in English.
Sand artist
Aged 28, Shayma Al Mughairy was born in the United Arab Emirates and had her first contact with sand art at age 12. “I was inspired by what I saw, and as the sand is part of the Gulf culture, I had the idea of telling stories to the world in a unique way,” said Shayma at the Forum.
After this discovery, the young woman created her first light box, a tool used for sand art, and showed it to her family. Over the years, she continued creating stories with the sand and had her life completely changed. Shayma understood she had a talent for this art when an educational zone from Umm Al Quwain, one of the emirates of the UAE, invited her to create an image of Sheikh Saud Bin Rashid Al Mualla, the local ruler.
In 2011 Shayma showed her art as one of the 12 finalists of the 1st season of Arabs Got Talent, and the following year she participated in TEDx Talks. “The inspiration for each story I tell comes from the events I participate in, from things happening in nature and around the world,” said the artist.
She has also participated in the first art music video in the sand, the first children’s television series entirely devoted to art, other art-related television series, and numerous commercials. The artist has performed around the Gulf and Arab world, and in other countries, such as Denmark and Switzerland.
With art in the sand, Shayma combines drawings and feelings to tell a story to the entire world and take the message to everyone since art is a universal language. According to her, this technique is important for the Gulf region because the sand comes from the desert, which is an integral part of the country’s heritage and nature. “Life comes and goes just like the sand that comes and goes,” she concluded.
In addition to drawing in the sand, she acted and played seven different instruments at school. Shayma obtained a degree in Architectural Engineering from Sharjah University.
The Economic Forum Brazil & Arab Countries is held by the ABCC in partnership with the Union of Arab Chambers, supported by the League of Arab States, and sponsored by Travel Plus, Brazil Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil), Fambras Halal, Embraer, Itaipu Technology Park, Pantanal Trading, Embratur, Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD), Cdial Halal, Modern Living, BRF, Egyzone/Am Development, Antika/Openet BV, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Egyptian Financial & Industrial Co. (EFIC), Suez Company for Fertilizers Production (SCFP), Boa Esperança Agriculture Cooperative (CAPEBE), Prima Foods, and Afrinvest.
Here’s more on the Economic Forum Brazil & Arab Countries.
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
