Reinterpreting Legends: Art Icons Painted on Wooden Cactus Sculptures

Dubai: As part of a unique eco-conscious celebration tied to World Environment Day, a group of visionary artists came together to participate in a live art for the “Wooden Cactus – Rooted in Nature. Conceptualized by Jesno Jackson, to merge sustainability with storytelling, the project was hosted by Art4you Gallery at Mehromah Art House, Jumeirah, Dubai on 6June 2025, invited artists to reimagine iconic masterpieces on handcrafted wooden cactus sculptures, symbolizing resilience, adaptation, and hope. The goal was not only to create art but to send a powerful message about nature, legacy, and the artist’s responsibility in preserving both.

Each cactus sculpture became a canvas that bridged environmental mindfulness with creative homage. Artists were invited to infuse their works with elements from renowned masters, while allowing their own voice and interpretation to emerge organically to today’s climate crisis. The aim was not imitation, but transformation, translating the soul of legendary styles into the contours of a contemporary wooden cactus. Artist Jesno Jackson, with a vibrant, dynamic piece inspired by Van Gogh, layering swirling patterns and bold brushstrokes in sun-drenched tones of orange and cobalt. The nod to “Starry Night” was unmistakable, but the underlying message was rooted in sustainability, how the chaos of nature still holds beauty and form. Maria Komal Abie chose to reinterpret Gustav Klimt’s golden palette and botanical ornamentation. Her sculpture was filled with floral rhythms and sacred spirals, echoing Klimt’s reverence for nature and femininity. Jaimee Felysse brought the influence of Claude Monet to life, with her sculpture drenched in the gentle hues of a blooming garden, like a vertical waterlily pond, with subtle reflections and soft textures with blue, pink and violet shades in her work, that whispered tranquillity. The surreal spirit of Salvador Dalí echoed powerfully in the piece by Sofia Babina, who painted bending clocks, melting forms, and fractured time amidst arid textures, exploring how time is running out for nature unless we act now.

Mehboobeh Shahnavas, on the other hand, did a captivating fusion of Vincent van Gogh’s expressive and vibrant landscapes with Gustav Klimt’s ornamental elegance and golden hues, creating a dreamlike interpretation of nature that bridges movement and mysticism. Shakiba Rabiei tapped into the qualities of Maudy Lewis and Emily Carr, connecting the spiritual representations of trees, forests and indigenous nature motifs with symbolic rootedness upward in motion by narratives of growth and life forces. Parisa Keramati’s drew inspiration from Starry Night by Vincent Vangogh, connecting natural beauty of UAE with the background of desert sands with Opontia Cactus proudly displaying its red flowers merges the wonders of rich starry expanse. Also, Mozhgan Afrisham chose textured techniques to highlight themes, embedding Van Gogh-like post-impressionist style, particularly echoing the expressive brushstrokes and vibrant palette seen in his iconic green masterpiece landscapes.

Zara Bekmurzaeva, reinterpret Iris Painting by Van Gogh’s emotionally charged landscapes into three-dimensional modern forms. She pays homage to his legacy while offering a fresh, playful take on his most iconic imagery. Adding a modernist twist, Viktorija Zujeva’s piece nodded to Gustav Klimt, beautifully fused the expressive swirls of Gustav Klimt with the emotive brushwork with whimsical elegance and dynamic color play using geometric abstraction. Meanwhile, Parvin Fathi used bold expressive, energetic strokes of Paul Cézanne and recreated a segment of pastoral landscape featuring serene countryside under a vibrant sky, which symbolizes harmony between nature and human life.  Sophie Bekmurzaeva’s Austrian symbolist Gustav Klimt approached nature through a decorative and symbolic lens, with gilded surfaces and intricate patterns, Klimt’s landscapes, like Farm Garden with Sunflowers and The Tree of Life, are lush with floral motifs, golden hues, and rhythmic organic forms.

Bhumika Maniyar combined the rhythmic color fields of Winslow Homerinvoking the expansion using earthy tones in green zone and dramatic seascapes that reflect a deep reverence for the untamed natural world. Homers style used by Bhumika in her 2 sides of the plague has documented nature’s force. Asma Syed took a poetic route, drawing inspiration from Pierre- Auguste Renoir and Claude Monet, painting a cactus wrapped in ocean blues, waves, and coastal landscape gives a dreamy and soft feeling which is influenced by Romanticism in a magical and emotional way, urging us to protect marine life. Roya Vahidi sculpture channels the dynamic energy of Van Gogh’s vibrant skies, blending motion and emotion through rhythmic brushwork and bold textures that evoke nature’s living spirit. Shelina Khimji’s art is inspired by Gustav Klimt’s signature use of ornamental swirls and golden-hued abstraction, blending symbolist motifs with vibrant color spirals evoked a sense of organic rhythm.

Hanieh Hoseini turned lush floral burst of Van Gogh into botanical self-expression field in reflected symbolism, creating a nature merge through decoration with sunflowers, reminiscent of Van Gogh’s famous Sunflowers series. Maria Aamir contributed the recreation of the Water Lilies, a breathtaking body of work inspired by the tranquil pond in his Giverny garden. She showed the dreamlike reflections, where sky, flora, and light merged seamlessly with nature’s rhythms and moods into a meditative experience, offering a visual poem of serenity and harmony with the natural world. Meanwhile, Ariella Livshits attempted to honor the environment’s subtle beauty through Claude Monet’s Impressionist style. Particularly the way he used light, color, and movement to portray nature, where she showed delicate beauty of lavenders and combination of purples, greens and blues to create a serene dreamlike atmosphere.

Running parallel was the soothing “Nature Jewel” watercolour session with 3 master watercolourists. Featuring the pomegranate, nature’s jewel, this segment highlighted the fragility and vibrance of the natural world using a low-impact medium: watercolour. Water became both subject and symbol, connecting artist and nature, inviting deep reflection on our environmental interconnectedness.

At the core of the event was Jesno Jackson, Art4you Gallery’s curator. With a vision uniting art, education, and environmental stewardship, Jesno emphasized that creativity has the power to shape values and inspire meaningful change. Official Sustainability Partner – The Green Revolution gifted potted plants to every guest and participant, an act symbolizing growth, renewal, and personal connection to nature.

“This event was a way to give back to the Earth through the very process of creating,” said Rengi Cherian – Founder. “We are not just showcasing art; we are showcasing responsibility, connection, and purpose.” Everything from sustainable display materials to local eco-partnerships was consciously curated. The event promoted green collaborations, visual storytelling, and educational outreach to ignite dialogue on climate awareness. The live art elevated it into a new era of historic art, where legacy meets sustainability. Their wooden cacti stand tall, echoing nature’s wisdom and the masters’ brilliance in every curve and color.