Offering a touch of classic elegance and refined comfort, Hyatt Centric Jumeirah Dubaibrings in a fresh take on the modern hospitality sector. Nestled in the heart of the city, the hotel is the ideal destination for those looking to unwind in local hot spots and discover the city’s hidden gems. Adding to the vibrant scene, the hotel features unique art pieces inspired by Dubai created byartist, Neel Shukla,Creative Director at theFour Seasons Ramesh Gallery. Discover an exceptional artistic experience with Hyatt Centric Jumeirah Dubai.
DISCOVERY
Discovery isan art installation featuring a collection of 260 amplified nutshells located in the lobby of the hotel. It is crafted using traditional molding, arranged in the form of the Dubai Creek channel located along the Dubai Wildlife Sanctuary. Considering Dubai is not known as a safari destination, it is surprising to many visitors to discover this hidden natural reserve within the city. The sanctuary is a haven for the scarlet-legged, graceful flamingos and its location and shape played a major role during the conception of this art installation. Within the shell composition, Neel has embedded objects symbolizing other hidden treasures awaiting discovery in the city.
AL FITAM
Al Fitam, also taking over Hyatt Centric Jumeirah Dubai’s lobby wall,is a unique art installation consisting of 800 handcrafted, one-of-a-kind traditional pearl diver nose clips. Each original wooden piece is hand painted in multiple colorful patterns, animating this large wall composition. Neel’s design for this area was inspired by the traditional pearl diving practice in Dubai which predominantly took place along the Jumeirah shoreline. Using a specialized matrix system, each unique nose clip is placed individually onto specific coordinates along the wall to ensure its place and direction accuracy. The collective shape of this composition is that of a swirl as one formed by a school of fish underwater, further connecting the inspiration of diving and the underwater theme.
ART ROCKS!
Art Rocks! is an assortment of framed artworks developed from actual rocks that are hung along the corridors of the hotel. Re-imagining art by using the most basic materials, Neel and his team of artists at FSRG collected rocks which form the escarpment along the shoreline of the hotel, then sliced and polished them with power tools. Finally, they hand painted them in quirky colors creating a visual play of hues and texture. To cement the local theme, the organic forms created by each of the framed artworks represent shapes of the Al Qudra Lakes which are significant recreational sites for residents and visitors of Dubai.
LET’S ROW!
“Let’s Row!” is another collection of artwork installations along the corridors of Hyatt Centric Jumeirah Dubai. The inspiration for these artworks derives from the traditional Arabic dhow oars. The oars were produced from recycled shipping pallets, which FSRG artisans reused by dismantling, carving, staining, and hand painting the wooden slabs to create playful shapes of color and exquisitely handcrafted compositions. In addition to painting, each oar is hand finished with multi-color unique woven styling to give them individual character. This is reminiscent of the character of the traditional oars used along the Jumeriah shoreline during past pearl diving days.
About Neel Shukla, Creative Director at the Four Seasons Ramesh Gallery(FSRG)
BorninIndiaandmigratedtotheUAEattheageoftwo, NeelShuklahas lived most of his life in Dubai. Growing up surrounded by art and being the son of renowned artist, RameshShukla,Neel learned from a very youngage to love and understand the ever-changing world of art and art expression. Besides being his father’s biggest fan, Neel was also his right hand. Neel had a very early exposure to the arts when in the mid 1970s his parents Ramesh and Taru started the first art gallery in Dubai, Neel Kamal Studio, better known to the local community for its notoriously large camel outside its main entrance. Neel was actively involved with his parents’ art gallery, where he assisted in organizing exhibitions for local and sub-continent artists as well as promoting his father’s work.
Neel’smissionistosustainhisfather’sphotographylegacybyarchivinghisvastcollectionandensuringthatittranscendsgenerations as well as to create artworks which will bring prestige and harmony within the UAE and the region. Neel is an active advocate of local and regional art and is continuously working on strengthening his ties with rising local talent.
