Treat on Us was a community gesture through Art

At a time when daily life moves in a rush and emotions are hidden and covered up by routine, artist, writer and dentist Dr. Alzahraa Soliman, chose to respond with a touching gesture of care towards the community, through art and human connection.

- Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer

On 3 May, she presented Treat on Us in collaboration with The Workshop Dubai; it was a community initiative created as a gesture of appreciation for the people of Dubai. Rather than being a commercial event, the concept focused on offering people a space to pause, reflect, reconnect, and express themselves freely during emotionally overwhelming times.

"When a country continuously gives people support, opportunities, and space to grow," said Dr. Alzahraa Soliman, "I felt the least I could give in return was create something meaningful for the community. Treat on Us was my way of giving back through art, reflection, and connection." As part of the initiative, Soliman chose to offer Traces of Thoughts, her reflective workshop concept centered around emotional expression through symbols, abstraction, colour, and intuitive drawing. Held in the gallery-café atmosphere of The Workshop Dubai, the event invited participants to communicate visually rather than verbally, using ancient symbols, Greek-inspired visual references, repeated patterns, colours, and instinctive mark-making, to explore thoughts and emotions that lie beyond words.