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Workshops

Earth, Memory, and Mark: A Mixed Media Painting Workshop

Mixed media painting workshop

What does the land you carry within you look like? This hands-on workshop invites participants to explore that question through painting, collage, and tactile mixed media — using materials such as sand, fabrics, and pigment to build compositions…

Creating Visual Art Creative Activity Doing Art Manual Crafting Tactile Experience
Duration 90–120 min
Group Size 4–12

Workshop

Description

What does the land you carry within you look like?

This hands-on workshop invites participants to explore that question through painting, collage, and tactile mixed media — using materials such as sand, fabrics, and pigment to build compositions that are as personal as they are expressive.

Led by a contemporary Middle Eastern visual artist whose practice is rooted in themes of land, identity, and emotional experience, this workshop offers a guided creative journey that goes beyond technique. Participants will work intuitively, experimenting with texture, colour, and material to uncover a visual language that is entirely their own.

Each layer added to the artwork becomes a way of mapping memory, place, and feeling. No prior art experience is required. The focus is not on producing a perfect image, but on the process of making, allowing something genuine to emerge.

Benefits

Participants will:

Develop a personal visual language through color, texture, and mark-making

Gain hands-on experience with mixed media, including sand, collage, fabrics, and paint

Explore themes of land, identity, and personal memory through art-making

Build intuitive creative confidence and move beyond fear of mistakes

Create a unique mixed media artwork reflecting their own story

Engage in a meaningful, open, and supportive creative environment

Additional Experience Info

Workshops can be adapted for private groups, corporate sessions, and cultural programs. Duration and pricing may vary depending on group size and customization.

Hosted by Joumana Mortada

About the Host

I am a visual artist and creative facilitator based in the UAE, with over six years of experience in developing and delivering art-based workshops and learning experiences for diverse audiences. My practice is rooted in using art as a tool for expression, reflection, and connection. Over the past years, I have worked across cultural programmes, educational initiatives, and community-based projects, engaging children, students, and wider audiences through interactive and process-driven creative sessions. My experience includes facilitating workshops within programmes such as Al Naliyah, led by the Ministry of Culture in the UAE, which engaged over 15,000 participants across the country, as well as delivering sessions in collaboration with Dubai Culture and the School of Life initiative, including programmes with POD. My approach focuses on creating safe and inclusive spaces where participants feel encouraged to explore, experiment, and express themselves freely. I am particularly interested in how artistic practices can support emotional awareness, confidence, and meaningful connections within groups. I aim to design experiences that are accessible, engaging, and responsive to different audiences, allowing participants to connect with creativity in a way that feels personal and relevant to their everyday lives.

Client Requirements

A quiet and comfortable space suitable for group activities, with enough room for participants to move and work freely. Depending on the session, basic creative materials such as paper, drawing tools, and mixed-media elements (e.g. collage materials) may be required. These can be provided by the client or arranged by me if needed. A table or whiteboard is helpful but not essential.

Focus Areas

Creative/CultureWell-being/Health

Location

70 Al Manama St - Nad Al Sheba - Nad Al Sheba 2 - Dubai - United Arab Emirates

Languages

Arabic, English, French

Travel Locations

Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah (+ travel expenses if applicable)

Corporate Experience

Moderate

Certifications & Credentials

Certificate of Appreciation – Ministry of Culture (UAE), for participation in Al Naliyah Roadshow

Session Types Offered

Interactive (eg. improv, group-art, yoga etc.)

Past Experience Doing Sessions

Yes - Interactive

Past Clients

Ministry of Culture (UAE), Dubai Culture, Dubai Public Libraries, School of Life, POD, RiserHub

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