Our Skyline 2022

Our Skyline 2022

Meet Alan Dawson, the artist commissioned by The Club to create Our Skyline 2022, a unique art piece to commemorate The Club’s 60th anniversary.

Having seen previous work from Alan on his detailed drawings of city skylines, such as Hong Kong, Edinburgh and London to name a few, we felt he was the perfect artist to visually capture The Club within Abu Dhabi, while at the same time showcasing the architectural development of the city over the last 60 years.

The abstract-montage piece features much of The Club’s iconic structures: Al Nadi Tower, Henderson’s Folly (the original Club building), and the Health Complex alongside other equally synonymous elements, such as the (recently removed) pylons, sailboats and the dhow. Can you spot them, did you notice anything else familiar? These ‘Club’ images are surrounded by many of the old and new buildings of Abu Dhabi, a nod to the past and a record of the present. We hope it reflects The Club’s solid foundations in the ever-changing modernising city that we call home.

In celebration of our 60th anniversary, prints of Our Skyline 2022 will be available for purchase from The Shack in the coming weeks. It’s a unique keepsake and piece of memorabilia to remind Members of their time at The Club during the past 60 years.

Can you name all the buildings you see?

About the Artist

Alan Dawson was brought up in Elgin, in the north of Scotland. He studied law and then accountancy at Aberdeen University, before working as a solicitor in Edinburgh until 1995 when he decided to pursue a career as an Artist. “I first started drawing architectural montages as a teenager, there are now almost thirty in the collection. They reflect my interest in history, architecture and design,” he says.

In 2006, he opened The Quay Gallery in Aberdour, Scotland. Alan describes his style; “even in my landscapes, I seem unable to shy away from lines. I paint in oil and enamel, and my work can best be described as stylised semi-abstract. People tend to either love them or hate them, I hope you are one of the former.”

Alan spends his winters in France where he renovates houses and attempts to master French. For more information on Alan and his work, please visit his website: thequaygallery.co.uk