Much like the stitches that fasten beads to her canvases, Azaïdé’s approach to her retro-pop artwork is both multilayered and multicultural. “I’m trying to highlight the beauty of cultural diversity, but with a modern twist,” the French-Algerian artist, whose formal name is Chloé Robin, explains. Her pieces, each a unique work, are created by sewing textile decorations and beads onto photographs printed on canvas.
Azaïdé’s artworks, which she has been creating since 2020, have been lauded for their distinctive look and cultural appeal. Awarded the Emerging Artist Grand Prize at Art Dubai 2024, Azaïdé has just finished a residency at Sofitel Dubai The Palm as part of the hotel’s 60th anniversary celebrations.
The Dubai expat’s collection Couture Divas, a showcase of empowered Arab women, is on display throughout the month, along with an exclusive piece (yet to be revealed at the time of publishing) in honour of Sofitel’s milestone – like Azaïdé, the brand also hails from France. “Seeing as Sofitel is a French brand, I feel I can relate,” the artist shares. “I’m mixing this French touch with the Middle Eastern touch.”
After graduating from the Studio Berçot fashion school in Paris with a specialisation in embroidery, Azaïdé began working as a fashion designer in China before moving to the UAE in 2009. Continuing to work with garments professionally, the creative began making digital art in her free time, inspired by her love of hip-hop. She displayed her works at several events, including Sikka Art & Design Festival back in 2018.
It wasn’t until the pandemic hit that she began making her creations, now famous citywide. “I had a lot of time and needed to find something to release my stress. It was a really tough time,” says Azaïdé. “Originally, I just wanted to create a funky image to post on my social media, but then, step by step, I started to print my digital work on canvas.” In pursuit of adding an interesting twist, “I decided to try adding some 3D elements and textures,” says the artist.
“My work is also about traditional [Arab] wear, so it’s also a bit of fashion,” she adds. Using her years of experience studying and working with embroidery, she had the idea to combine the two crafts. “Embroidery is considered valuable by so many cultures, so it has a big cultural impact. I wanted to bring this into my digital art,” she notes.
The process starts with Azaïdé capturing interesting images of women around the country. “The UAE has influenced my work, because it’s very multicultural and you have access to so many cultures and so many people from different backgrounds, which has helped me to grow as an artist as well,” she explains.
“I used to go a lot to Al Fahidi because it has a nostalgic touch with a historical story. Now, I also go to places where you can find this multiculturalism, like Satwa or Deira,” she adds. After editing the image on the computer and finding a way to add a twist, the picture is printed onto canvas. “The last step of my work, which is the longest as well, is the embroidery,” Azaïdé reveals. “At this stage, I play around with colour and texture.”
It takes her three weeks on average to complete one piece. Earlier this year, Azaïdé quit her role in fashion to work on her art full-time. Recently recognised as an emerging artist in the Emirate’s thriving art scene, Azaïdé’s prize will see her exhibiting in a booth at World Art Dubai next year.
“It was nice to receive approval from the art field itself,” she says with a smile. As well as creating her own pieces, she also conducts workshops to show other aspiring artists and creatives how to create their own canvas and embroidery works.
“The art community is very supportive. We all get inspired by each other,” she says. “Every workshop or exhibition I do, there are other artists there too – it’s amazing.”
Looking ahead, Azaïdé is keen to expand her inspiration repertoire to encompass the wider region. “I’m really looking forward to photographing other Arab countries,” she teases. “My next collection will have a link to my Algerian roots. I grew up in Africa, so the colours there, that luminosity, have had a big impact on my art.”
And they are present in each of her pieces – making her work instantly recognisable – these vibrant hues Azaïdé’s stitches on, carefully sewing the links between heritage and modernity.
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