To Life… unto death
First there was an outline of life, then came a first draft of life, and finally life itself.
24 Hours With Mohammed Saeed Harib
“Put four women in a room and you’ll get laughter and one thousand stories. Put four men in a room together and all you’ll get is talk of money and women. I find that boring,” says Mohammed Saeed Harib, the maverick creator of 3-D animation Freej – one of the UAE’s most successful exports.
The Observer
24 Hours in Shanghai It's been 20 years since I left Hong Kong for Canada. I never went back to the Far East until a few weeks ago. Art of Life decided it was time to do a show out of China and a Fendi fashion show on the Great Wall was the perfect backdrop to what was to be a thrilling, e
The Insider
In Da Club By Brahms Chouity “Brahms ol’ chap, care to join me down at the Savile Club for a round of Mimosas and a spot of brunch? Just make sure you’re looking spruce.” These words still echo chillingly in my head. It was 1997 and a very dear childhood friend of mine, Rory Lapidus, prodi
The Aesthete
La Vida Solo By Sue Hostetler It is my feeling, when it comes to men, that childhood officially ends at marriage. Being a bachelor is usually an exciting time but, as with most things, this footloose and fancy-free lifestyle has an expiration date – your wedding day. Sadly, most men don’t
The Flip Side
By Rana Ballout Über Rules, OK! There is a new breed of Man afoot. Suave, calm, collected with an exuberant lifestyle to match. Red-blooded yet sensitive, he looks and acts like a cross between cool Clint Eastwood and heartwarming celebrity chef Jamie Oliver. In other words, he can cook so
The Process
American husband and wife designers Charles and Ray Eames were two of the most influential designers of the twentieth century. Active in a flurry of domains including industrial and graphic design, art, film and architecture, Dr. Abdallah Kahil takes a look at their best furniture design.
The Collector
Culture Speaking When you talk with Sheikha Hussah Sabah al Salem Al Sabah, director general of Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah (DAI), three things are instantly evident. First, her passion is not for art, but for the ability of art to communicate and share cultural experiences. Second, she fee
Going for a Diva…
The wedding singer has long been a fixture at nuptials in our region. To have the best, and to get your guests grooving on the dancefloor, you need to be prepared to pay. Bespoke takes a tongue-in-cheek look at the hottest, and priciest, singers around.
Bringing back the bass
If you’re looking for a vintage guitar, American cult classics are the Harley Davidson of the instrument world. But as Lucy Fielder discovers, repairing and revitalising old strummers can make for a lucrative collection.
The Art of War
Rifaat Sheikh Al Ard is a collector unlike any other. As the owner of the largest Islamic arms and armoury collection, he is reigniting pride in the Islamic art of warfare that has long been relegated to the shadows of history. Rana Ballout discusses with the collector and his associate Ba
The Orientalist Century
Once a source of mystical fascination to European and American artists, the Middle East is currently portrayed in a very different light. But as author and expert Kristian Davies argues, some Orientalist painters, aside from creating exceptional work, continue to bridge the gap of understa