Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind: A guided tour of contemporary Arab art and specialty coffee tasting

August 21, 2024, Dubai, UAE – Kutubna Cultural Center, Dubai’s newest independent bookstore and cultural center, will host a multisensory coffee, art, and writing experience on Sunday, August 25, at 5 pm. The event will be held at Kutubna’s new exhibit “One Hundred Years of Painting: Art from 1916 to 2017” and feature works by award-winning artists.

This immersive experience combines a guided tour of the art exhibit with a tasting of curated specialty coffee from around the world – followed by a creative writing workshop. Six paintings by Khaled Ben Slimane, Najat Makki, and Ali Hassan will be paired with nine types of specialty coffee sourced from Colombia, Uganda, El Salvador, Ethiopia, and Brazil, roasted at Cazador Specialty Coffee Roasters. Cazador representatives will guide attendees through the tasting, discussing the notes and flavors of each coffee, and how these flavors correspond to the colors and emotions evoked by each art piece.

Coffee aficionados use the “flavor wheel” to identify the taste of different coffees. The flavor wheel is categorized by colors, so each color evokes a different tasting note. At this event, the colors in each painting are linked to different coffee flavors to create a multisensory experience (sight, smell, taste) for participants, as they look at the art while the coffee flavors fill their palate.

Following the tour and tasting, attendees will have the opportunity to join a writing workshop. This workshop offers a creative space where participants can reflect on the emotions stirred by the art and coffee and explore their thoughts through writing. Attendees will get a chance to express their creative side, channel their interpretation of the paintings combined with the coffee flavors, and write anything that comes to mind, be it poetry, prose, fiction, or nonfiction. Prompts will be provided, and aspiring writers of all levels are welcome to join. 

The sensory experience allows attendees to connect on a deeper level with the art on display and the coffee types that are paired with it. They can also connect with fellow art lovers, coffee enthusiasts, and writers. Kutubna aims to build community and create an inclusive space for cultural exchange and creative expression.

The registration fee for the workshop is 50 AED. Registration can be done on the Events section of the website, www.kutubna.ae. 

Ends

Editors notes

Khaled Ben Slimane is a Tunisian ceramicist, sculptor and painter who uses letters, words, and Qur’anic verses to create art with spiritual elements. Using mainly the four primary colors – symbolizing earth, fire, wind and water – his rough black brushstrokes and delicate spirals allow great freedom of expression through their beauty and simplicity. Ben Slimane’s compositions contain light and air, allowing space for reflection and meditation.

Ali Hassan is one of Qatar’s most celebrated artists, known for his semi-abstract mixed media compositions (watercolor, pencil, and even ceramic) art works. He employs colored paper as a medium, utilizing oil paints, soft chalk, and charcoal to convey the vibrant colors and melancholic undertones of Egypt.

Najat Makki is one of the UAE's most celebrated visual artists. Makki received the Order of Arts and Letters from the French Government (2023) and the Emirates Appreciation Award (2015) among other awards. Makki's works have been exhibited internationally and including at the Beijing International Biennial in 2016, ADMAF’s Portrait of a Nation (Abu Dhabi, 2016; Berlin, 2017); National Pavilion UAE, Venice Biennial (Italy, 2015), The Luxor International Symposium of Photography (Egypt, 2014), and the China International Sculpture Symposium (China, 2008).

About Kutubna Cultural Center

Kutubna Cultural Center was established in 2023 as an independent bookstore and literary hub for Dubai and the Gulf region. Kutubna offers an inclusive community space to enjoy books, art, specialty coffee, and cultural events. Kutubna’s vision is to become a premier destination for literary and cultural enrichment in Dubai and the Gulf region.

Kutubna celebrates the accomplishments of Khaleeji, Arab, Middle Eastern, North African, and Muslim writers, poets, thinkers, artists, and researchers. We amplify these essential voices through lectures, readings, guided conversations, workshops, and other activities for people of all ages. Kutubna strives to make creative and scholarly pursuits accessible to people who are traditionally at the margins. We work especially hard to make cultural events easier for mothers with young children to attend.

For more information, please visit the website: www.kutubna.ae.

About Cazador Specialty Coffee Roastery

Cazador Specialty Coffee Roastery was established in 2022 as a micro home roastery. The wholesale supplier serves high quality coffee beans to cafes, offices, hotels as well as online platforms. Cazador aims to be recognized globally as it discovers the best premium coffee beans around the world, roast them to perfection, and serve them to customers with love. To provide the world with authentic coffee flavors, Cazador’s team believes that quality is not an option, but a habit.

For more information, please visit https://www.instagram.com/cazador.ae/