Jam Jar

New art at Jam Jar this summer, we check out what to expect over the coming weeks Discuss this article

© ITP Images

Vivek Premachandran (also widely known as Ubik) has been stationed at thejamjar for over a week now. Busily putting the final touches together on a number of works that will culminate in his first ever solo show, opening on August 13, Vivek is now stationed every day in the gallery and encouraging people to come down and see how he’s getting on.

The Indian-born artist has been a consistent fixture on Dubai’s art scene for several years. An outspoken proponent for developing something of an underground art scene here and having contributed to a number of graffiti murals around town, including the Diesel Art Wall Competition that he won at this year’s Bastakiya Art Fair, his work is saturated with urban aesthetics. Dripped paint with the anarchic approach to painting that he’s picked up from the many graffiti artists that used to feature in his monthly single-sheet underground art mag, Cliché (now on a temporary hiatus).

It’s a pretty straight out like it or loathe it situation with a lot of Vivek’s works. They’re caustic, have a day-glo wash about them and are washed over with the visual decay that the artist adores so much (and which he finds to be so absent in the architecture and urban landscape of Dubai).

It’s definitely worth heading down to the gallery to see the performance-orientated process of him making his art before the official opening next week.

At thejamjar (04 341 7303) until August 22.