AUS student welcomes UAE visitors with “A Trip to the Moon”

Visitors to Abu Dhabi International Airport are receiving a colorful welcome to the UAE this month, greeted by artwork created by senior visual communications student Mai Awwad from American University of Sharjah (AUS) and other aspiring and established artists from across the UAE, in an initiative by the Institut Français in the UAE, JCDecaux, Abu Dhabi Airports Company and BB Media. 

The Art Port competition was established to celebrate the UAE’s upcoming 50th anniversary which coincides with Expo Dubai 2020. The featured artists were selected by a panel including the Ambassador of France to the UAE, CEO of JCDecaux Middle East and Africa, CEO of Abu Dhabi Airport Company, CEO of BB media communication and three art experts. The exhibition, which opened on July 14, aims to echo France’s pavilion at Expo which focuses and responds to the question—“How will we travel in the future?”.

Awwad’s own artwork, entitled “A Trip to The Moon”, was awarded third place in the adult category of the competition. A student of the College of Architecture, Art and Design (CAAD) at AUS, the artist aimed to capture the wonder of being in Paris and the heightened experience of little moments of pleasure when taking in the surroundings. She looks ahead to a time when these kinds of pleasures could be experienced at a galactical level.

“The moon is considered throughout history a great symbol of love. When we feel connected to someone we tend to say in a metaphoric manner: “I would get you the moon if I could”. But what if we actually can go on a trip to the moon? It is mind-blowing to think of the possibility of getting so close to the most beautiful celestial body in our small galaxy”, said Awwad.

“What if people from all fields like art, design and business get a chance to land on the moon and not limit the access to it for scientists and astronauts?” she said.

As a student at CAAD, Awwad was encouraged by her professors to enter the competition as a means of extending her learning and giving her exposure to wider critique in the commercial arena.

“Special thanks goes to the sponsors of such an artistic and unique challenge. Many thanks also to AUS and CAAD for always encouraging the students to be part of very aspiring competitions and challenges across the world,” she said.

In addition to the honor of having their work included in the exhibition, Awwad and the other selected artists will be presented with awards at a ceremony on November 6 at Expo 2020 where their artworks will be exhibited again for a wider audience.

For more information about the award-winning students of the College of Architecture, Art and Design at American University of Sharjah, visit www.aus.edu/caad.