Emirati painter dives into world of underwater art

Maisoon al-Saleh has become the first female Emirati underwater painter. At only 28, the young artist has wowed audiences with her unique and distinctive approach to art.

She tells Gulf News that "My love for art pushed me to pursue and painting installations and digital art."

She was inspired by her grandfather's story, a survivor of the MV Dara explosion, the Dubai-based ship that used to travel between GCC countries and the Indian subcontinent.

Disaster struck when a powerful explosion killed 238 passengers out of 819 onboard in April 1961.

She says: "I grew up on the stories that my grandfather told us about that dreadful night. So, I was inspired, learnt diving and dived at the location of the tragedy. In 2010, I started creating The Dara Chronicles, based on the event."

Maisoon believes that the UAE and its citizens have been extremely supportive of her goals and aspirations, and the nation as a whole cares about young women and their creative endeavors.

"Emirati women should truly believe in themselves and create milestones to reach their goal. If they push themselves towards these goals, they will be successful."

The General Women's Union [GWU] has also recently launched a website celebrating Emirati Women's Day in order to extend their efforts towards gender equality and encourage positive interaction between institutions and its female members in the Gulf region.

Maisoon says: "When people hear about me painting underwater, they feel it's quite an achievement. They say, 'Wow, you are a woman and an Emirati and you paint underwater! How do you do that?' Well, loving what you do is a great motivation."