It’s a quarter of a century ago, since I first set foot in Dubai, feeling exactly like a naive child discovering a crystallized new world.
I came to Dubai to design couture dresses for Emirati women including the UAE Royal Family. It was an honor beyond my wildest imagination!
Motivated by my love of art, I was inspired to tell my travel story through illustration. I wanted to enlighten children, particularly those of my homeland New Zealand; all about the wonders of my newfound habitat of Dubai.
Inspired by the desert and the undulations of the rolling sand dunes, I was mesmerized by its tiny inhabitants, the insects. These little creatures motivated me to tell their story.
As a former textile designer, I had the skillset to re-create my newfound insect friends. Each collage illustration was built up with layers of card and painted in Gouache.