UAE - Aerosol Edition
From September 29-October 8, 2023, three artists traveled to the United Arab Emirates for Next Level’s Aerosol Edition residency. Artists Chino (Site Manager), D: GALE, and Rixy visited Abu Dhabi & Saadiyat Island for the two-week program. The residency was supported by the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi as well as Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism and Manarat Al Saadiyat (MAS).
Next Level, a cultural diplomacy program that uses Hip Hop to create connections, is an initiative of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Meridian International Center. The program promotes conflict transformation, entrepreneurship, and artistic and professional development among younger and underserved audiences around the world.
At MAS, the artist conducted workshops on aerosol technique and application, color theory, transferring from paper and Procreate to a wall, and the type of nozzles and paint used. Additionally, the program focused on entrepreneurship, discussing how participants could change from working a 9-5 to becoming a full-time artist.
Over the course of the residency, the Next Level Team and student collaborators created a work that included themes of community, life, the environment, and daydreams. This was combined with a galaxy motif, inspired by the UAE’s first astronaut, Hazza Al Mansour.
Altogether, the residency had 10 workshop participants, including 7 women and 3 men. The mural stood as a testament to what happens when people come together for a common goal despite their differences.