Martyr’s Helmet marks UAE’s Commemoration Day

Iconic work by Jamal Habroush Al Suwaidi is a fitting tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

The approaching commemoration day provides a timely opportunity to highlight a very special piece of work by the Emirati artist Jamal Habroush Al Suwaidi, which was created to mark the first Martyr’s Day in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), held on November 30, 2015.

Titled ‘Martyr’s Helmet’ and created in stainless steel, the work is reminiscent of traditional, military-style headwear, while bearing the immediately recognisable four colours of the country’s national flag.

Now one of the most important dates in the UAE’s calendar, Martyr’s Day was decreed a public holiday by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, to pay tribute to the Emiratis who have given their life in the line of duty, either at home or abroad, in military, humanitarian or civil service.

Al Suwaidi’s iconic work was the first made by an Emirati artist to mark Martyr’s Day and was exhibited as part of the inaugural programme of events in 2015. Now known as Commemoration Day, it will this year be observed across the UAE on December 1, one day before National Day.

Created in a series of delicately curved lines which remind us of the artist’s passion for bringing calligraphy into his work, the helmet is evidently meticulously researched and immediately recognisable in shape. The piece is finished in the red, white, green and black colours of the UAE flag, giving it an element of patriotic pride and recalling the country’s unique heritage.

Al Suwaidi said that while Commemoration Day is a national holiday, he wanted to ensure that like the dignified events held to mark it, the Martyr’s Helmet reflected the gravitas of the occasion and the sacrifices those being honoured had made.

“A helmet is symbolic in so many ways, providing protection in just the same way that our martyrs did when they laid down their lives for their country and its people,” he said. “This work is a lasting legacy to both the people that lost their lives while serving their country and also the occasion of Martyr’s Day itself, which in just five years has quite rightly become an important part of our heritage, ensuring that those who have been martyred will always be remembered.”

About Jamal Habroush Al Suwaidi

An Emirati artist, Al Suwaidi was born in 1971. His interest in art was evident at an early age and he began entering art competitions organized in his hometown aged 14. After graduating from high school, he attended the Sharjah Art Institute and took courses in drawing, sculpting and ceramics. Al Suwaidi’s work is influenced heavily by his relationship with the environment of his birthplace, from its rich history and heritage to the dramatic changes it has undergone in more recent years on so many levels. The country’s natural beauty and legacy, weighed against the current regional turmoil, combine to provide inspiration for his expressionism and abstraction. Al Suwaidi is represented by the Habroush Art Foundation.Today, his work can be found in numerous private and public collections, including the Olympic Museum, Dubai International Airport, the National Art Museum of China, Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, International Maritime Organization etc…