With a stylus on a computer screen, Emirati artist Abdullah Lutfi is showing a new love for digital art.
By virtue of his qualities, he gives life to the men of Kandor who sit by the fire in the desert.
The 29-year-old autistic artist is known in the United Arab Emirates for drawing amazing works with black markers. Its mural provides a fascinating glimpse of Emirati life against the backdrop of Dubai's historic landmarks.
The launch of her first NFT collection this week expands the reach of her signature black and white pieces to a wider audience around the world.
To people who don't understand autism , I say Kali Walli ... Autistics are good people.
Abdullah Lutfi, Emirati artist
“For digital I use a special pen, a special app. I do it in black and white on an iPad,” said Lufti, who works out of his Tashkil studio in Dubai’s Al Fahidi district.
"So I'm more famous for art."
Editing a section is very easy on the screen. Before adding markers to the canvas, first use a pencil for large drawings. Now enter the data instantly in digital style and if you make a mistake, quickly click on the delete tab to correct the mistake.
"I love working digitally," Lufti said. "Digital art is the best thing ever."
Learn new techniques
In the same way that the authenticity of an original painting signed by Picasso or Monet can be verified by cryptographic art with NFTs – non-fungible tokens are each unique and cannot be replaced, exchanged or duplicated.
Lufti recognizes that launching his collection on the NFT Art Market will help him reach more people, and we thank his long-time art teacher, Gulshan Kavarana, for his willingness to move to the new platform.
Ms. Kawarana said the transition from canvas to computer screen was not easy and Lufti learned the best editing and layering techniques from Tashkil Bureau Chief Zahra Kumri.
"It's not the first time you introduce something new to Abdullah," he said.
But once he found it, there was no turning back. He said it's much easier than canvas now and asked us to accept digital orders only.
Martial art is in high demand, with small paintings starting at $800, large detailed paintings at $10,000 and commercial commissions selling for up to $35,000.
His collection of about 100 NFTs starts at around $400 each.
Acting as a digital certificate of authenticity, NFTs can be traded like physical art and increase in value over time.
The data is stored on a massive blockchain or database where transactions are conducted using cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.
© Human Talent Artist Abdullah Lutfi now prefers to write his work on the digital platform. Photo: Anthony Robertson/The National"The most sought-after artist these days is not because of autism or Emirates, but because of talent," says Ms. Kawarana, who has worked with him for more than a decade.
I was part of a group of special needs artists at Moheb Studio, where Ms. Kawarana worked before it closed during the pandemic.
She said it encouraged her to stop imitating anime characters and create her own style by capturing Emirati people in their traditional clothes.
“He created amazing sets and people recognized the characters. It was challenging, but working with him was incredible," he said.
"He has a sense of humor. He's very, very funny. He takes people's behavior into account and remembers them in his pictures."
crypto travel
Akshay Gupta, a Dubai-based entrepreneur and volunteer, also supported Luft's foray into the cryptocurrency space by learning about NFTs and advising them to use the OpenSea online marketplace to launch the stock.
"Digital art can be tracked and this is a huge advantage for the artist, because it allows them to earn a commission every time an artwork is resold," he said.
“You can see the current ownership, how many hands it's been through. The artist, in fact, is happy to know how many people bought it.
"Abdullah is a very special artist and the first Emirati autistic artist to enter the digital NFT world."
© By UAE National Artist Abdullah Lutfi and Art Professor Gulshan Kawarana at their studio in Tashkil, Dubai. Anthony Robertson / InternationalInterest in non-traditional artworks is on the rise, with the first NFT-based work sold at auction last year fetching a world record $69 million for digital art.
Word of Luft's talent spread and he was invited to give seminars to fans eager to learn his style.
The new series is about car racing on UAE highways, naughty kids in parks and parents trying to punish kids.
The name of his NFT collection "Kali Wali" is derived from the vernacular.
Luft explains that the word is equivalent to "forget" or "let go."
When asked to use the word in a sentence, he said, " I say Halle Valley to people who don't understand autism... Autistic people are good people."
Tourists and residents can view and purchase military artifacts at the Next Chapter Store in Tashkil, which is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
His NFT collection will be unveiled at Time Out Market at Dubai's Shop Al Bahr on Tuesday at 3pm.