Latest news with #Raisa
Gulf Today
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
Raisa Mariam Rajan ropes in art to reflect her concern for Nature
'Art for life's sake' is the recognisable feature of Raisa Mariam Rajan's creative journey. For her, art is not merely a decoration — it is a dialogue, an emotional rebellion, and a vector of truth. Her work challenges viewers to listen to the whispered warnings of nature and the cries of a planet in peril. She is an artist who promotes the cause of sustainability and her latest solo exhibition, The Reflection of Nature (till April 24) at 1604 Artspace, Business Bay, Dubai, is a further step in both her career and the region's growing movement towards sustainable art. The show marks a historic debut as the first-ever art collection crafted entirely from natural jute rope and zari, the traditional gold thread used in South Asian embroidery. The fusion of zari's shimmering elegance and rope, a material deeply rooted in the UAE's maritime and nomadic history - Raisa calls the combination 'Zarute' - results in a synthesis of sustainability and craft based on heritage. In choosing rope as her primary medium, Raisa not only champions sustainability, but also pays homage to the UAE's maritime and Bedouin legacy, where rope was used for everything, from building shelters to constructing ships. The cultural reference, interwoven with a global environmental message, makes her work both locally rooted and universally relevant. Artwork titled The Storm Under The Sea. The exhibition was inaugurated by Sunjay Sudhir, Ambassador of India to the UAE. In his opening remarks, he praised the artist's deep commitment to her craft and applauded the powerful message embedded in her work. The launch event was also attended by renowned Emirati artists like Faisal Abdulqadir and Ahmad Al Awadhi Rukni, whose presence signified strong support from the UAE's creative community for Raisa's cause and artistic efforts. In her brand-new 2025 collection in the exhibition, the fusion of zari and rope or Zarute, highlights the physical and symbolic strength of rope, alongside the opulence of gold thread. Each piece resonates with the harmony of tradition and progress, of nature and humanity. 'The integration of gold into sustainable mediums was intentional,' says Raisa. 'Gold symbolises timeless value, and when intertwined with rope — a mundane material — it reflects the inherent worth of one of the Earth's most humble resources. It's also a reminder that beauty doesn't have to cost the planet.' On view is also her complete COP28 rope collection, which had captivated international audiences when it debuted at COP28 in Dubai. The works portray natural wonders from across continents — towering mountains, delicate coral reefs, expansive forests — each painstakingly recreated with meticulous rope work. The textures convey not just the beauty, but also the vulnerability of the natural marvels, underscoring the grave risks posed by environmental degradation and climate change. Tropical Beauty by Raisa Mariam Rajan. The installation centerpiece at the current exhibition is titled The Elements of Nature. It explores the five elements of nature, namely, earth, water, fire, air, and space, through a symbolic and sensory composition. Created entirely from rope, it is a powerful visual meditation that captures both the philosophical balance and psychological complexity of the natural world. Visitors are invited to immerse themselves in a space where form and spirit intertwine, offering not just aesthetic engagement, but also serious reflection. The show also features 12 intricate rope artworks, with each piece being created through labour-intensive precision - a testament to Raisa's deep respect for her materials and message. Each thread has been deliberately constructed and each knot is intentionally done. The gold zari glimmers subtly, catching light, as if echoing the unseen energies of the natural world. Raisa Mariam Rajan before her artworks. A deep emotional link with Nature runs through all of Raisa's work. 'I feel the pain of Mother Nature,' she says. 'When I hear the cries of birds displaced from their homes or see animals fleeing from collapsing ecosystems, I feel a spiritual responsibility to speak about them through my art. The voiceless need advocates — and I believe that is my calling.' Her artistic journey is also deeply activist. Raisa has taken her message to global stages, from Art Cannes Biennale 2023, when she represented the UAE during the Year of Sustainability, to UNESCO's La Pedrera in Spain, where she exhibited her work which blended cultural storytelling and environmental themes. Perhaps, most notably, she was the concept creator and led the most nationalities in achieving a Guinness World Record on December 3, 2022, in an art lesson in Abu Dhabi, where 65 different nationalities took part. The event underscored a commitment to using art as a tool for unity, education, and global change. Raisa's artistic methodology is heavily influenced by her international art residencies in Seychelles and Azerbaijan, where she immersed herself in sustainable techniques such as printing with natural dyes and creating eco-friendly canvases. She has been bestowed numerous accolades for her contribution to sustainability and innovation in art. What motivates her is a profound hope for the future. 'Art is a statement, and nature is my muse,' she says. 'As long as I can create, I will use that gift to bring awareness, compassion and change. My ultimate dream is for art to not only touch hearts, but transform mindsets — because the future of this planet depends on what we do today.' The Reflection of Nature is an ode to the Earth. It shines a light of hope at a time when the world needs it most. Find Raisa's work at Instagram: Raisa_artworld or website
Khaleej Times
16-03-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Life in war-torn Ukraine: How those left behind among ruins find hope
It was 10:00am when Raisa walked out of her house. She was quickly joined by a pack of hungry dogs whose barking failed to drown out the sound of artillery. "I get up every day, make food for the animals, then go to work," she said, roaming the ruined streets with a plastic bag full of raw chicken. The 65-year-old says she "stamps papers" at the local administration in Bilytske, a town 15 kilometres (nearly 10 miles) north of the city of Pokrovsk -- one of the most active parts of the front line in eastern Ukraine. A few kilometres south of Bilytske, Russian drones roam the skies and the roads are lined with burnt-out cars. Asked about the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, she said: "I don't believe it. "Nothing good is coming. The bombing never stops," she said, complaining that she can no longer sleep at night. But Raisa has nevertheless decided to stay. Nothing is more important for her than her adopted animals, many of them brought back from the front by soldiers and left in her care. She spends most of her salary on them and says she would not leave unless the dogs are killed by the bombs. 'See the birds' By 11:00 am, Raisa was at work. Her neighbour Sergei went to the half-destroyed mayor's office to get a few litres of drinking water. Feeling nostalgic, he walked past his old school, destroyed by Russian missiles in June. "You can see the birds," he said, looking at a large hole in the ceiling of a classroom. "When we were young, my friend and I wanted the school to be destroyed," he said, before falling silent. "The dream has become a reality," he mused, stroking his long white beard. In the streets of Bilytske, which had a population of 8,000 people before the war, those left are mainly soldiers and pensioners who refuse to leave. Sergei said he had come back from Portugal to look after his elderly mother, who is determined to stay. At midday, he went to meet her at the local church, where parishioners were eating a frugal meal of potatoes since the Lenten fasting has begun. Surrounded by the smell of incense, members of the congregation said they believed in divine protection despite the sound of explosions nearby. Sergii, a priest with crooked teeth, said: "God is saying that the world down here is bad. "If there is war, it's because people don't believe any more." - 'I will die here' - Father Ivan, 56, said most of his parishioners had fled. Only "the most solid" had stayed, he added, comparing his church to Noah's Ark. As to why civilians had chosen to remain in an active war zone, he said: "People cling on to what they have spent a lifetime building." At 2:00 pm during a funeral service, Khrystyna started putting away a table outside the church. She had decided to stay even after her daughter fled to the capital Kyiv with her grandson. Now the former mine worker, 64, looked after the family home hoping her daughter would return. "I don't think she wants to come back," she said, sadly. As to the possibility of her town falling under Russian control, she said simply: "We do not have the right to be afraid. "It is God's Will. If I have to die here, then I will die here." At around 4:00pm, the services were over and the faithful went home. As dusk set in, Raisa left work and started feeding the dogs.
Khaleej Times
16-03-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Feeding dogs and God's Will: A day near the Ukraine front
It was 10:00am when Raisa walked out of her house. She was quickly joined by a pack of hungry dogs whose barking failed to drown out the sound of artillery. "I get up every day, make food for the animals, then go to work," she said, roaming the ruined streets with a plastic bag full of raw chicken. The 65-year-old says she "stamps papers" at the local administration in Bilytske, a town 15 kilometres (nearly 10 miles) north of the city of Pokrovsk -- one of the most active parts of the front line in eastern Ukraine. A few kilometres south of Bilytske, Russian drones roam the skies and the roads are lined with burnt-out cars. Asked about the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, she said: "I don't believe it. "Nothing good is coming. The bombing never stops," she said, complaining that she can no longer sleep at night. But Raisa has nevertheless decided to stay. Nothing is more important for her than her adopted animals, many of them brought back from the front by soldiers and left in her care. She spends most of her salary on them and says she would not leave unless the dogs are killed by the bombs. - 'See the birds' - By 11:00 am, Raisa was at work. Her neighbour Sergei went to the half-destroyed mayor's office to get a few litres of drinking water. Feeling nostalgic, he walked past his old school, destroyed by Russian missiles in June. "You can see the birds," he said, looking at a large hole in the ceiling of a classroom. "When we were young, my friend and I wanted the school to be destroyed," he said, before falling silent. "The dream has become a reality," he mused, stroking his long white beard. In the streets of Bilytske, which had a population of 8,000 people before the war, those left are mainly soldiers and pensioners who refuse to leave. Sergei said he had come back from Portugal to look after his elderly mother, who is determined to stay. At midday, he went to meet her at the local church, where parishioners were eating a frugal meal of potatoes since the Lenten fasting has begun. Surrounded by the smell of incense, members of the congregation said they believed in divine protection despite the sound of explosions nearby. Sergii, a priest with crooked teeth, said: "God is saying that the world down here is bad. "If there is war, it's because people don't believe any more." - 'I will die here' - Father Ivan, 56, said most of his parishioners had fled. Only "the most solid" had stayed, he added, comparing his church to Noah's Ark. As to why civilians had chosen to remain in an active war zone, he said: "People cling on to what they have spent a lifetime building." At 2:00 pm during a funeral service, Khrystyna started putting away a table outside the church. She had decided to stay even after her daughter fled to the capital Kyiv with her grandson. Now the former mine worker, 64, looked after the family home hoping her daughter would return. "I don't think she wants to come back," she said, sadly. As to the possibility of her town falling under Russian control, she said simply: "We do not have the right to be afraid. "It is God's Will. If I have to die here, then I will die here." At around 4:00pm, the services were over and the faithful went home. As dusk set in, Raisa left work and started feeding the dogs.
