Arts Chat: Building a Life as an Artist

A continuing series on building a life as an artist, presented by The NYUAD Art Gallery in partnership with The NYUAD Arts Center and NYUAD Career Development Centre. This conversation delves into opportunities and challenges that artists are facing in building an actual career in the UAE. Your panel:

Shilpa Ananth Indian singer-songwriter who blend the ethereal tapestries of South India with influences from Soul, Jazz, and Electronica. A Berklee graduate, she recently released her second album.

Khalid Jauffer An alumnus of SEAF and Campus Art Dubai 7.0, Jauffer (b. 1996, Dubai) finds his subject matter in everyday life; “from writing poems in delivery order comments to recreating a rose in a bottle from his office parking lot, he distils the poetic fragility of human existence from seemingly mundane experiences”.

Carlos Páez Multidisciplinary theatre artist, game designer, and educator whose work focuses on “creating new realities where audience-participants explore new ways of being themselves and interacting with other humans and non-humans”. Another SEAF alumnus, he has a BA in Theater from NYUAD with a minor in Game Design.