In honor of International Women's Day, COYA Dubai has collaborated with Egyptian artist Farida Abushady to showcase her latest fine art series 'Mother Nature'. After recently welcoming her first child, her latest series is inspired by nature, motherhood, and her deep admiration towards the beauty and strength of women. Pieces from the exhibition are available for sale.
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Mother Nature
122 x 122cm - Acrylic on Canvas
Available for Sale
The start of the series. Mother Nature depicts a Native American woman entangled in leaves with a butterfly on her shoulder. The magical metamorphosis of a caterpillar to a butterfly is the inspiration behind this piece as it represents stages of growth and maturity. I chose the butterfly to represent the final stage, the imaginal stage, aka. 'imago', where the woman has attained maturity and is reborn. The bird is waiting for her to open her eyes, a symbol of freedom and enlightenment, with sunflowers in her hair evoking joy and a bright radiant energy.
Anthesis
122 x 122cm - Acrylic on Canvas
Available for Sale
Anthesis is the blossoming stage of a flower. She feels alive as her mind and being both bloom into a red rose. One of my favorite flowers, the red rose represents passion, love, romance and desire. A thornless red rose is a symbol of love at first sight.
Jacky
122 x 122cm - Acrylic on Canvas
Available for Sale
Jacky tells the story of a single mother who took a leap of faith and left her village, making her way to the city of lights. She sacrificed the joy of being near her beloved son, to work hard with hopes of offering him the best education possible. Jacky joined our family 1 year ago to support me as a new mother. This piece is to honor her. Purple lilies, regarded as being rare flowers, symbolize royalty, dignity, and accomplishment.
Lady In Red
152 x 122cm - Acrylic on Canvas
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Lady in Red is confident, fierce, wild and free.
Comfortable in her own skin, she represents feminine beauty and freedom.
Comfortable in her own skin, she represents feminine beauty and freedom.
The Nourisher
152 x 122cm - Acrylic on Canvas
Available for Sale
Women have been seen carrying baskets on their heads since ancient times. In India, women carry baskets filled with bricks to men on construction sites. In Colombia, Cartagena is home to the Palenqueras, a group of women famous for their colorful dresses and fruit baskets which they carry on their head as they walk from their town to the city by foot everyday to sell fruits to make a living. I wanted to create a piece that honors women in developing countries, so I combined both cultures and painted a woman in a ghoonghat with a fruit basket on her head.
The Carrier | The Nurturer
120 x 60cm - Acrylic on Canvas
Available for Sale
The Carrier & The Nurturer tell the story of a mother and child in a rural village in Africa. Depicting the same woman, at home she wears pink, a soft color filled with warmth, yet when she steps out with her child, she wraps herself in red. I have always thought the color red represents strength and gives women a sense of confidence when worn. In both paintings, she carries her baby close and hopes to always protect him from the world. I chose to cover her child's eyes with a stroke of thick paint, to represent a mothers wish to always protect her child from what they may see in this world.