Dress the Mannequin is an auction and exhibition fashioned around a cause

The nine-inch, white-plastic, body-shaped forms are rather unassuming before the artists get their hands on them.

Then they become quirky creations that reveal the breadth of talent of the 40 artists who are taking part in the second edition of Dress the Mannequin, an auction followed by an exhibition that starts on Wednesday.

From stitches to spikes

Many of the small dolls, given by the Dress the Mannequin founder Sumayyah Al Suwaidi to the 40 artists ahead of the month-long exhibition at Wafi Mall, have been dressed in customised gowns that represent their perceived characters. Some of the artists, however, have stepped further outside the box with their creations. Noora Ramah, an Emirati from Abu Dhabi, for example, has covered her doll with metal spikes and pins and called her piece Meet Your Punishment.

Reyan Hanafi, an architect and a fashion designer, made a doll called Resurrect from recycled material to symbolise reconstruction and hope after the war in Gaza.

Giving to Gaza

Many of the dolls have been decorated with Palestinians in mind, because all proceeds from the auction will go to the UAE’s Red Crescent, which is directly helping the people in Gaza affected by the recent war and continuing struggles.

Original article by Anna Seaman

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Dress the Mannequin is an auction and exhibition fashioned around a cause