Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the official culture supporter of Expo 2020 Dubai, and talabat, the official food delivery partner for the global event, have officially wrapped up their collaboration, which saw six local young artists showcase their creativity with their unique helmet designs at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Displayed at the ‘talabat Kitchen’ in the Sustainability District, the artists, who are all UAE-based, explored their creativity as part of the #CreativeCravings initiative, which invited local artists to adorn talabat riders’ helmets with artistic interpretations of culinary arts and innovation. The purpose was to promote the cultural scene and present young talents with a creative outlet at Expo 2020 Dubai.

As part of this initiative, one artist was hosted every month at the ‘talabat Kitchen.’ The helmets were chosen to symbolise appreciation for delivery riders in the UAE and across the world. While the initiative aimed to foster the local arts scene and empower young artists, it also presented an opportunity for them to creatively depict the UAE’s ambition towards innovation and technological advancements. The initiative between Dubai Culture and talabat aimed to foster the culinary arts scene at Expo 2020 Dubai and provide an outlet to highlight the connection between art, food, and technology.

The UAE-based artists included Evgenia Silvina, Ella Orencillo, Khawla Salman, Mahmood Al Abbadi, Diaa Allam, and Gary Yong. Collectively, their helmet artworks featured an array of designs, including portraits of people, Arabic calligraphy, retro art and motifs that paid homage to the UAE, and illustrations that focused on culinary arts and technology’s role in transforming the food delivery sector.

Shaima Rashed Al Suwaidi, Director of Marketing & Corporate Communication Department at Dubai Culture, commented: “Art and culture are at their best when they reflect the spirit of the community which they serve. Collaborating with talabat and these six artists was an exceptionally rewarding experience that promoted togetherness and honoured delivery riders. We sought to highlight Dubai’s culinary scene through art and culture to produce artistic paintings that speak the language of beauty and humanity and look forward to continuously working with and empowering talents from across the UAE to grant them a platform to express their creativity and make their art accessible for everyone, everywhere.”

Commenting on the success of the #CreativeCravings initiative, Sonia Lekhal, Chief Marketing Officer at talabat, said: “It’s been a privilege to be part of nurturing the arts and culture scene at Expo 2020 Dubai from its outset by giving young homegrown talents the opportunity to showcase their unique designs on our riders’ helmets at our’ talabat Kitchen,’ together with Dubai Culture.

She continued: “Many of the artists’ illustrations drew inspiration from a variety of themes, ranging from futuristic visions of technology to innovation in food delivery in the UAE and cultural celebrations. We were delighted to have welcomed many visitors to our two-storey ‘talabat Kitchen’ to view the collection.”

The painted helmets collection will be displayed in the ‘talabat Kitchen’ until Thursday, 31 March.