“I always wanted to be an artist,” Raisa Mariam Rajan tells NRI Focus.
When UAE-based Raisa discovered her creative side at a young age, little did she imagine the enlightening and rewarding journey ahead – one that would culminate in an environmentally-friendly passion now showcased on global platforms.
The entrepreneur, self-taught artist and sustainability advocate, who was born and brought up in the UAE, tells us how a childhood vacation in Kerala, India, inspired a huge change in her life.
“I was playing outside my ancestral house, which is now almost 120 years old and a place that has most of my memories of India. I was looking at the house and thinking about what forms it… I found rectangles, triangles… basically, a play of shapes.”
She immediately got out pencil and paper and began to sketch the house.
While Raisa had indulged her artistic inclinations earlier as well through painting, this particular childhood incident sparked a new interest.
At her school in the UAE, she was particularly fond of maths and physics, and always had “the design factor” in mind.
Raisa recalls being fascinated as a child by the Dubai World Trade Centre, then the tallest, most imposing skyscraper in the city.
She eventually combined both her passions, choosing architecture as a field of study because “art is the base of architecture.” Equipped with a degree from Chennai’s Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, she worked for a while on various projects in India before returning to the UAE and joining her father’s long-running business, which was expanded to include an art consultancy.
Art continued to play a huge part in her life, as she honed her skills whilst creating artworks in her home studio at night, after the day’s work was done. But there came a turning point in this journey, when she realized that her vision extended far beyond the conventional realms of art. She needed to come closer to nature, and her art had to mirror that direction.
“I always had a passion to learn different art techniques, one of which was resin. One night, I was working on a big order, which involved creating trees on resin. Working with resin requires you to wear a mask. This time, when I closed my studio, a smell was still emanating from it. I panicked, thinking about my kids, who were asleep. As I tried to think of ways to get the fumes out, I wondered, what am I doing to the environment? When it comes to my kids, I am immediately triggered to the dangers of my surroundings. But what about Mother Nature? What am I giving back to her? I’m breathing because of nature, but in return I’m harming the environment!”
Unable to sleep that night, Raisa reflected on what art really meant to her.
“I thought, there is a statement in all my art pieces. So, why am I not speaking about this (as well)? I’m part of a negligent society which is dumping things into the environment.”
She then stopped using resin and looked at creating alternative materials.
“I started making modelling paste out of my kitchen. To create textures, I started using basic things like salt, and prepared other materials as well after some research.”
Slowly she was able to incorporate a greater percentage of self-made sustainable materials into her work.
“At the end of 2020, I began using my materials for exhibitions. They caught the attention of many people, who were fascinated as to how I created them.”
Travel brought with it new discoveries and perspectives.
“While I was learning more about the heritage and culture of the UAE, which is reflected in my artworks, I also travelled to new places in search of inspiration. In Seychelles I learned about ‘nature art’; Montenegro, known as ‘black mountain country’, showed me beautiful colour combinations in its topography. Travel always gives me insight as to my next concept.”
Nature is what inspires her most. Even back when she was using conventional mediums like paints, Raisa’s artworks were a reflection of the environment. “I always like to connect Mother Nature’s thinking to ours – and showcase that in my art.”
Raisa’s sustainable art journey in the UAE continued with a new milestone – the Guinness World Record for ‘most nationalities in an art lesson’. She conducted an art class for 65 different nationalities, where only sustainable materials were used.
“Even the palettes were sustainable. And, we replaced modelling paste and glue with discarded tissues and flour powder. So, we ended up with 65 different artworks, all beautiful in their diverse depictions of nature and more.”
Raisa is constantly on a quest to find innovative materials for her artworks that do not harm the environment. Old newspapers, pieces of glass and ropes were used in a uniquely beautiful and meaningful manner for her showcase at the International Contemporary Art Cannes Biennale in 2023, where she represented the UAE’s Year of Sustainability.
Titled ‘Reflections’, Raisa’s portrait of two women facing each other incorporated powerful themes of equality and empowerment.
She explains, “One of the women in the portrait is made of torn and burnt newspapers, the other is made of bits of broken glass. I wanted to convey a feeling of what women go through; we are torn and broken but still triumph and shine! It is difficult to break us. Their hair was made out of rope. The portrait also conveys the weight of expectations and judgment that women face.”
It’s obvious that Raisa believes strongly in the themes she portrays through her artworks, as well as the common message of sustainability that links them.
A series of her creations, using date palm coir to depict Emirati culture, was showcased at COP28 in the UAE last year. “Each of those artworks spoke about environmental issues and I was creating awareness through them,” she says. “One of them – ‘Tranquility’ – depicts the sense of peace you experience through waves on water. It’s so beautiful to see waves and you just forget everything when you are in a place like that. But the same sea or ocean, while being a source of beauty, can also turn brutal if we don’t treat it with respect.”
She says showcasing her work at COP28 and meeting its President, Dr Sultan Al Jaber, was an “enlightening” experience.
“The conference was a treasure-trove of information. I was encouraged to further use the medium of coir rope to represent the UAE’s art and culture as well as create environmental awareness on international levels.”
Raisa believes the UAE is making a significant impact in the field of sustainable art.
“For the past two years I have noticed that artists’ mindsets have changed. There’s an awakening happening where they feel that they have to be mindful of the mediums they are using and the message being conveyed. At events like Abu Dhabi Art, Art Dubai and Downtown Design Week, one can experience art that is created from recycled and reused materials. Artists are going back to nature and to their roots.”
Raisa is thankful to the UAE for the opportunities and recognition it has provided her.
“I feel very happy and honoured to be appreciated for what I am doing and to constantly be able to reach out to my audience. The UAE is our second home; it has given me everything that I wanted. All my dreams have been achieved through this beautiful country, and I am thankful to it.”
She still feels she has a long way to go as far as spreading her message is concerned.
“I speak for nature; it is the common theme that connects my work. I want to continue to create awareness about the environment and global warming through my art.” – Enid Parker is a writer based in Dubai.
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