“When architects see my work they ask me, ‘Are you an architect?’ It touches me that architects get it,” says Wasel Choi, the Architect’s Artist. Trained as an architect, Wasel graduated with a BA in Architecture Engineering yet he started as an artist and can never remember a time he wasn’t making art. Later when he followed his passion for art, he couldn’t shake his love of architecture. “15 years ago, the first series of paintings I created was called ‘Art/Architecture,’ says Wasel.
Today, his large-scale paintings and sculpture continue to explore the interplay of lines and shape in creating balance. His artworks are in the permanent collections of the Abu Dhabi royal family, Viceroy Hotels and Resorts, and the Burj Khalifa, world’s tallest man-made structure.
After making his international debut at Art Paris 2007, Wasel became one of the most well-received artists in the Emirates and was widely covered in the media, including an interview with BBC and CCTV (China Central Television), plus feature articles in Gulf News. He was also a speaker at TEDx and Dresden Academy of Fine Arts.
His works include commission pieces, paintings, sculpture, and limited-edition prints.
“I will never be an ‘artist' in the strict sense. I am just practicing lines, volumes and ideas, which I'll continue doing till I take my last breath, though I know that won't be the end.”
Art in Partnership with Architecture & Design
Wasel specializes in collaborating with architects, devlopers, and designers on custom artworks by commission for public and private spaces. He has created artworks for architects such as Will Alsop at Rihan Heights and the Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi Hotel designed by Hani Rashid and Lise Anne Couture of Asymptote Architecture.