Furry artists charm at Dubai Aquarium

Dubai: Otters at the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo are giving artists in town a run for their money, their ‘abstract’ paintings drawing huge crowds.

As the four furry, small-clawed marine animals at the Dubai Mall aquarium wow visitors with their live masterstrokes at three daily shows till December 30, their works of art are being variously interpreted, even being picked up for Dh100 apiece and more.

‘Mallard Duck’ by Cato ‘de Vinci’; ‘The Horse’ by Diego ‘Picasso’; ‘The Frog’ by Tiny ‘Monet’ — the paintings made at shows are framed before being exhibited and sold. When XPRESS went the aquarium for the 3.30pm show on December 16, Bitoy, the fourth otter, prompted by a trainer dressed as Santa, created two paintings with a flourish of his tender paws. At the end of each work, he even signed off the painting with his paws.

Paul Hamilton, Head Curator of the aquarium, told XPRESS: “The otters arrived at a young age. We were able to monitor their health and stimulate them. As they learned to master various skills, it became clear that they needed new challenges. With their good concentration and dexterity skills, we tried painting, which they welcomed with enthusiasm and became one of their preferences. Over time, we accumulated paintings that sparked the idea of an exhibition of their work.”