Animals, Birds & more — Mina Dasani

The Arabian Horse originated in the Arabian Gulf and is considered one of the oldest and purest breeds in the world.
It is renowned for its beauty, loyalty, strength and intelligence. They have strong heritage significance in UAE; the country is also known for its equestrian talent. An Arabian Horse is painted across seven canvases of different depths and sizes.
Perfectly executed shelves between the canvases create an apt backdrop behind an Emirati boy's study table.
2011 | 106x150 cms | 42x15058.5 inches
Acrylics on canvas
Commissioned

Dragonflies are symbolic of change, transformation and self-realization.
It is a reminder to reflect on our inner light, and shed more joy in our life. Here, a bright red dragonfly caught my eye amongst the contrasting green foliage.
The buyer of this painting remarked that the captured moment brought forth the carefree, happy childhood memories of chasing dragonflies in her garden.

2018 | 22x30 cms | 9x12 inches
Acrylic paints on canvas board
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The Arabian Horse originated in the Arabian Gulf and is considered one of the oldest and purest breeds in the world. It is renowned for its beauty, loyalty, strength and intelligence. They have strong heritage significance in UAE; the country is also known for its equestrian talent. Here, an Arabian Stallion is seen rising from desert dunes.
2005 | 30x22 cms | 12x9 inches
Acrylic paints on stretched canvas
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Dragonflies are symbolic of change, transformation and self-realization. It is a reminder to reflect on our inner light, and shed more joy in our life. Here, a bright red dragonfly caught my eye amongst green foliage.
2018 | 60x90 cms | 24x35.5 inches
Acrylic paints on stretched canvas
Commissioned

This painting has been inspired from my trip to Masai Mara in the year 2022.
We were very excited when we spotted the fastest land animal on earth – the graceful and elegant cheetah. This one was a Mama cheetah. As she walked, barely visible above the tall Mara grass, she was constantly on the lookout, obviously for predators. We counted four cubs that were rather difficult to spot amongst the tall grass, accompanying her.
Our guide explained to that us she was on the move, looking out for a safer place to take the cubs to. Something that she and all mother cheetahs do often when they sense the slightest bit of danger lurking around.
Cheetah cubs have a low rate of survival in the Mara, and for this reason, there was a ranger car nearby to act as a barrier between the cheetah family and a lion that was seen in the adjoining territory.
We were told that a lion can kill a cheetah cub, obviously not for a meal since they are too small to satiate him, but just to establish his dominance!
A mother, be it in the human world or the animal, can wear different hats, but protecting her children from harm with all her cunning, remains one of her most important role.
2022 | 60x80 cms | Copper and acrylic on canvas

Young, confident and alert, the panther sits high on a big rock, an ideal vantage point, to survey his recently marked territory.
Inspired directly from my recent trip to Masai Mara, a childhood dream come true! The majesty that the big, beautiful animals exuded on their own territory left me in awe.
This was the first time I saw them on their own land where I was the trespasser.
Leopards are elusive animals in the Mara and usually difficult to spot. But we were lucky to spot this beautiful animal twice! The first spotting was that of a young, one-year old adult, surveying his territory from a vantage point - the top of a huge boulder. The second was an almost decade-old leopard marking his territory. Did you know that a leopard does this by peeing on the boundaries of his territory?
The sheer beauty, confidence and raw strength of these big cats drove me to paint a golden, spotless panther against the evening dusk to be able to show off his colors. Carefully cut out areas of the canvas reveal glistening canvas reflecting the richness and purity of natural beauty. The eyes, the windows of the soul, also reflect this pure metal.
2022 | 60x80 cms | 24x31.5 inches
Copper and acrylics on canvas

Horses can represent many qualities in art. To name some : power, royalty, strength, ambition, aspiration and energy. A few bold strokes are enough to convey some of these qualities.
This painting was donated to Al Noor, a school for special needs in the Dubai, UAE. It was printed on greeting cards that were sold to raise funds for the school.
1999 | Ink and water colors on rice paper

Inspired from old masters
1995 | 30x20 cms | 12x8 inches
Ink on fabric
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Intuitive fun with black and white fluid acrylics create a bird.
2018 | 20x20 cms | 8x8 inches
Fluid acrylics on canvas board

The bird heralds the arrival of spring.
1998 | 31x32 cms | 12x12.5 inches
Ink and water colors on rice paper.

Inspired by old masters
1999 | 29x23 cms | 11.5x9 inches
Ink and water colors on rice paper

For many days and over many cuppa chais in my garden, I had been observing the subject of my painting: a pair of 'laughing doves'. I saw them create a home for their small family of chicks in a comfortable and safe niche, the shopping basket attached to my cycle! I delighted in seeing them raise their family and watch them grow bigger and stronger till they could fly away. This sweetness of birds inspired me to choose watercolors as a medium that perfectly captures the freshness and spontaneity of nature.
2018 | 30x39cms | 12x15 inches
Charcoal and watercolors on paper
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Inspired by a photograph.
2002 | 55x75cms | 22x29.5 inches
Watercolors
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Camel racing is a popular traditional sport in UAE. Camels are a significant part of Emirati culture. They are a prized possession and were said to be God's gifts to Bedouins they made life in the desert possible. This painting captures camels and their jockeys at UAE""s annual camel race. Today, human jockeys are replaced with robot jockeys.
This painting won 1st prize at the DIAC Annual Members' Exhibition in 2005.
2004 | 29x87cms | 11.5x34 inches
Acrylics on stretched canvas
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Animals, Birds and More