A unique artistic project that blends design, graphics, and contemporary art has emerged in the local art scene. Its lead artist is the young Emirati artist, Shama Al Ali, who has managed to create a unique visual identity for herself, combining geometric precision with a tactile touch, using nails, threads, and leather. Through this, Shama Al Ali redefines the concept of painting from a new perspective that merges art and craft.
Relying on her deep academic studies and the experience she has gained over time, artist Al Ali embarked on a unique artistic path, transforming simple tools into a visual language that speaks of creativity. She blends handwork with modern digital techniques to realize her unique vision in contemporary paintings that combine heritage with innovation. At the same time, Al Ali's paintings reflect a meticulous design sense and a clear dedication to shaping various details, alongside a lively scenography teeming with faces, features, and national symbols that pulse with the 'spirit of the place' and the 'memory of time' of the United Arab Emirates.
Details of Things
At the outset of her interview with "Al Ittihad," Shama Al Ali paused at the beginnings of her artistic talent in childhood when she used to draw with pencil, watercolors, and oils. She then found her calling in her academic studies at Zayed University, from which she graduated in 2025 with a Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, which opened a new door for her to worlds of experimentation. She said: "Through my academic journey, I entered the world of contemporary fine art and was drawn to the art of nails and threads, also known as (filigree art). It started as a personal hobby before it transformed into an independent artistic path that I presented in my own style with differing artistic visions."
Al Ali explained that what she presents does not fall under traditional graphic art, but is a fine art that relies on tangible tools. She said: "The two are different. I studied (graphic design) for five years, but the art of nails and threads began from the heart as a hobby, evolving from drawing letters, numbers, and sentences to people's faces. Over time, I learned to control their details and master their forms. I follow a meticulous method in executing my paintings: I start with the digital design, then transfer it to a piece of wood covered with leather, where I place the nails according to the drawn model, culminating in the stage of threading the threads to complete the painting."
Unforgettable Paintings
Shama Al Ali spoke enthusiastically about her first paintings presented to the public, which was a painting of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, God rest his soul. She presented it at Zayed University on the occasion of Union Day last year, describing this experience as: "This direct experience in front of the public received great admiration, as people loved seeing the techniques and got excited to learn how the threads and nails are placed to execute it." She pointed out the difficulty of executing some of these techniques that require varying amounts of effort and time, confirming: "One painting can take from a week to a month depending on its size and details, while working on it requires about five hours a day."
Regarding her most prominent current achievements, visual artist Shama Al Ali highlighted the experience of one of her large paintings with an area of one and a half meters, which carried the slogan of one of the sports clubs in the 'City Walk' area in Dubai, and a painting with nails and threads for the logo of Al Ain Sports Club. In addition, within the summer camp for children, Shama supervised a training workshop titled 'Nails and Threads Workshop' for about 80 male and female students, teaching them the principles and techniques of this new art. She added: "This year, I participated in the 'Fujairah Dubai' exhibition with a painting that symbolizes the place, in which I reflected some details of our local environment, such as the Ghaf tree and the enchanting sand dunes of our deserts. This year, I also had the opportunity to participate in the Abu Dhabi Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition and present about 10 artistic works, one of which I executed directly in front of the public to familiarize them closely with my artistic method."
Paintings and Messages n When talking about the most important paintings she has presented to the public, Shama Al Ali paused at a group of distinguished works in her career, through which she embodied important national figures and symbols such as the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, God rest their souls, in addition to lively paintings of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, God protect him, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President of the State, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, God protect him, and His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, confirming her interest in intensifying her participation in major national occasions, events, and art exhibitions.
Ice n The Emirati artist, Shama Al Ali, stopped at the biggest challenges of executing her complex and detailed artistic works, which is the physical effort required by her paintings that are executed with a hammer and hammering nails. She said with a humorous tone: "More than once, the effort of hammering and fixing the nails with a hammer has caused the swelling of the fingers of my hands for hours and the feeling of pain, but I have over time gotten used to this side effect and found alternatives and solutions, such as ice, to overcome it and resume work again each time."
