{"id":310739,"date":"2022-04-25T18:29:06","date_gmt":"2022-04-25T21:29:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/o-mundo-arabe-pelos-olhos-de-eduardo-kobra\/"},"modified":"2022-04-27T14:05:23","modified_gmt":"2022-04-27T17:05:23","slug":"the-arab-world-through-the-eyes-of-eduardo-kobra","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/the-arab-world-through-the-eyes-of-eduardo-kobra\/","title":{"rendered":"The Arab world through the eyes of Eduardo Kobra"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
One of the canvases on display in Dubai is “The Hourglass”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

S\u00e3o Paulo \u2013 Brazilian artist Eduardo Kobra has been working with street art for over 30 years and has painted murals in around 40 countries on five continents. In the United Arab Emirates, he crafted five large-format works. Currently, he has canvases on display at the Eden Gallery in Dubai and is receiving new invitations from the Gulf country and other Arab nations, such as Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n

Kobra<\/a> was born on the outskirts of S\u00e3o Paulo, in the Campo Limpo neighborhood, and is self-taught in arts. At 46, he continues to work and produce works worldwide. \u201cI received a new [work] proposal from the UAE and contact from Saudi Arabia for a series of murals. All projects are discussed with the parties and studied step by step, and I continue to produce this kind of work,\u201d Kobra told ANBA. Kobra informed ANBA that he is currently assessing about 20 international invitations.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\u2018The Bedouin\u2019 mural in Dubai<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Six canvases by the Brazilian artist are on display at the Eden Gallery<\/a>. \u201cThese are works specifically crafted with motifs related to Dubai and the entire UAE. There is a little bit of the local culture etched in these works. I did a little research, a little creation, a little poetic license. They are unique works, paintings I have been developing for about five months, and they are on exhibition in this new gallery in Dubai,\u201d said Kobra. Some of the canvases are originals from the murals the artist produced in the region. \u201cEach mural has a canvas, a hand-painted representation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

In addition to the works in the UAE, Kobra produced a canvas in honor of Lebanon after the explosion in Beirut in August 2020. \u201cI created a piece and put it up for auction, and with the sale, we donated all the funds to help affected families in the region. This was important because of the respect I have for the citizens, the families, and the affectionate and kind feedback I received from several people who found out about it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Artwork in the UAE<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
First work in Dubai: 3D Painting<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kobra said he received invitations to paint in the UAE with great enthusiasm. \u201cWe receive media information through books, stories, films, documentaries, and this is often very far from reality, of being present and relating. So, there are a lot of ideas about the Arab world from people who have never actually been there. For me, mainly because of the language of my work and the idea it brings of relating to peoples, cultures, and traditions; I had this enthusiasm, this desire to be there and see with my own eyes, learn, get to know, visit the places, understand more about the culture, habits, and traditions,\u201d declared the artist.<\/p>\n

The first invitation to the UAE was to participate in a festival called Dubai Canvas 3D Art Award in Dubai in 2015. \u201cI am one of the pioneers in Brazil to carry out this work of tridimensional paintings on the floor, so it was exceptional because, in addition to an incredible receptivity, we had coverage by the local media during the crafting of the work, not least because it was a novelty in the region,\u201d said the artist. One of the challenges for him and his team was painting the floor in the 40-degree heat. The painting is no longer on display.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\u2018The Bedouin\u2019 mural in Dubai<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Next, Kobra was asked to paint the side of a building. For this work, he said he researched more about the country\u2019s history, and with that, he painted \u2018The Bedouin,\u2019 also in 2015. The mural remains on the building until the present day.<\/p>\n

In 2016 came a new invitation to paint a mural on an old staircase in Dubai, in Jumeirah. \u201cThey offered this space, which was the most privileged they had there at that time, and I created a work entitled \u2018The Legend of the Arabian Horse\u2019 and presented it to them. There was a fountain there too, and I made this connection of the fountain that releases water where the six horses are running. It is a work that is still there today,\u201d Kobra said.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Mural \u2018The Legend of the Arabian Horse\u2019<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

According to the muralist, the work with the horses on the staircase opened doors for other projects. \u201cI did another project in this tridimensional version, which was based on the idea the UAE emerged from the avant-garde vision of reaching a desert place and transforming it into a true oasis, so I put a little boy, symbolizing the first sheiks building one of the icons of the UAE on the sand [the Burj Al Arab],\u201d he said. In the opening picture, the artist with the mural\u2019 Dream of a boy,\u2019 created for an event in 2017. A canvas of the original art is on display in the Eden gallery.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

In the year of Tolerance in the UAE, 2019, Kobra carried out his last project in the Gulf country. He received an invitation from the government to paint the largest mural in the UAE, in Abu Dhabi. \u201cThis panel depicts people from different countries who live in the region, demystifying many misconceptions, showing the reception, openness, and contact with other cultures,\u201d said Kobra.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Tolerance: Biggest mural in the UAE<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For this work, the artist spent almost two months in the region. \u201cIt was impressive because I was able to visit the homes of some people who live there, they invited me to dinner, I went to a wedding, it was awesome. Also, I was able to visit stunning art spaces, like the Louvre Museum. I was impressed. Also, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, with all that marble, chandeliers, and the handmade carpet. I was instigated, very interested in the tradition, culture, and respect they have for faith in God, for discipline; I found it very interesting,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

In addition to his artistic work, Kobra is also dedicated to his institute and social projects. \u201cI have worked with governments, cities, town halls, galleries, in addition to the panels I made voluntarily, in Africa and India, and I continue to make an effort, opening doors and following my work step by step,\u201d he says. Kobra\u2019s institute is under development. It will operate in projects related to humanitarian aid, environmental issues, and social transformation through art.<\/p>\n

Quick facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Eden Gallery
\nFashion Av \u2013 The Dubai Mall \u2013 Unit FF \u2013 290 \u2013 58 Financial Center Rd.
\nDowntown Dubai
\nDubai, United Arab Emirates<\/p>\n

Translated by El\u00fasio Brasileiro<\/strong><\/p>\n

Press release\/Kobra<\/div>\n
Press release\/Arte Studio Kobra<\/div>\n
Press Release\/Arte Studio Kobra<\/div>\n
Press release\/Arte Studio Kobra<\/div>\n
Press release\/Arte Studio Kobra<\/div>\n
Press release\/Arte Studio Kobra<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Brazilian artist has works spread across five continents, including countries like the United Arab Emirates, and has been invited to produce in Saudi Arabia. In addition to wall paintings, his canvases are on display at the Eden Gallery in Dubai.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2305,"featured_media":310703,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[89,3066],"tags":[30662,11910,30663,30664,30665,22643,30666,26555,9621,30667,30668,10647,22647,22617,22648],"class_list":{"0":"post-310739","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-culture","8":"category-society","9":"tag-abu-dhaibi-en","10":"tag-arabia-saudita-en","11":"tag-arte-en","12":"tag-artista-en","13":"tag-artista-brasileiro-en","14":"tag-beirute-en","15":"tag-cultura-en","16":"tag-dubai-en-2","17":"tag-dubai-en","18":"tag-eduardo-kobra-en","19":"tag-kobra-en","20":"tag-libano-ar","21":"tag-mural-en-2","22":"tag-mural-en","23":"tag-muralista-en"},"wps_subtitle":"The Brazilian artist has works spread across five continents, including countries like the United Arab Emirates, and has been invited to produce in Saudi Arabia. In addition to wall paintings, his canvases are on display at the Eden Gallery in Dubai.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/310739","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2305"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=310739"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/310739\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/310703"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=310739"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=310739"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=310739"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}