YOUSEF AL-HABSHI'S 'LITTLE MONSTERS' EXHIBITION

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A bug’s life through the lens

Who knew that insects close up were so mesmerizingly beautiful? We discovered as much for ourselves during the opening night of ‘Little Monsters’, the first formal exhibition of the work of Emirati photographer Yousef Al-Habshi.

The inspiration behind this surprisingly vivid exhibition emerged from a chance encounter between Al-Habshi and NYU Abu Dhabi Professor of Biology Claude Desplan, whose work focuses on how patterns in the eye of insects impact their vision.The bug-eyed beauties in Al-Habshi’s colourful, sometimes psychedelic, prints really effectively prove that there is more out there than meets the eye. There are worlds beyond worlds right out there under our noses, and lucky are we to have the tools to view them up close.

“There are so many small creatures out there, I just got curious, I wanted to see their faces!” says Al-Habshi.

The young Emirati national picked up his first camera in 2010 and found himself gravitating toward “macro” and “micro” photography, which is now his specialty. He has since won numerous local and international awards, most notably first place for two consecutive years (2012 & 2013) at the Emirates International Photography Contest. His award-winning photographs have been featured in National Geographic Al Arabiya.

His top tip for budding macro photographers: “Be very patient.”

Little Monsters is on display now until September 24, 2016;

Timings: Saturday-Thursday, 3-10pm

Venue: The Project Space within the NYU Abu Dhabi Arts Center, Saadiyat Island Campus