Colours of Arabian Sea: Atul Panase's art reflects both the UAE and India

"Creating something spontaneously, while establishing a meaningful conversation which can give happiness and a clear message to the masses, is the only way for me go ahead with art, regardless of the medium I use to express myself," says Atul Panase, Brand Ambassador, Daniel Smith Artists' Materials and Co-curator, World Art Dubai, 2017 and 2018. He is based in Dubai and is a recipient of the Cultural Golden Visa. He has taken part in many national and international exhibitions, including at Fabriano in Acquarello, the biggest International festival dedicated to watercolour in Italy.

- Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer

He has curated many shows in the UAE and received multiple international awards, which includes the first prize in Watercolor Challenge-UAE Series organised for Channel 4 by Dubai International Art Centre (2002). He has also won the Nikon Photography Award in Dubai. He has been a resident artist, attended innumerable art camps, given dozens of art talks and demonstrations and has won prestigious commissions from Dunhill-Switzerland (300 of his paintings were purchased by them; he won the contract beating 17 competitors from 17 countries) and Rice Perry Ellis Consultants, Dubai, among others. Recently, he was invited to an international watercolour event in Texas, USA, where he held a demo at the Fort Worth Art Community Centre. His art classes and workshops are appreciated both by students and art lovers. He has even held art workshops in the University of Socotra!

During the Ras Al Khaimah Art Festival in 2022, his watercolour portrait painting titled 'Purple Aura' was installed on Jebel Jais — the highest mountain in the UAE. It was a huge print of 40 square metres and was displayed on the occasion of the UAE National Day. Watercolour and Pen & Ink are his leading mediums, though he also works in pencil, charcoal, pastels and acrylics. Most of his artworks are portrait-based or are trendy/contemporary illustrations. Atul Panase draws his colours on Gulf Today's canvas