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Commissioned large sculpture of a boat in white painted mesh - centrepiece of the hotel reception

‘AIRWAVE’ 2016

‘AIRWAVE’ 2016
7 metres height: Floating Arabic Dhow Sculpture
Le Royal Meridien, Dubai, Beach Resort & Spa, Dubai, UAE

  • Wire sculpture AIRWAVE Dubai by David Begbie web
    Wire sculpture AIRWAVE Dubai by David Begbie web
  • Wire mesh sculpture AIRWAVE Dubai by David Begbie web
    Wire mesh sculpture AIRWAVE Dubai by David Begbie web
  • Meshsculpture AIRWAVE Dubai by David Begbie web
    Meshsculpture AIRWAVE Dubai by David Begbie web
  • Mesh sculpture AIRWAVE Dubai by David Begbie web
    Mesh sculpture AIRWAVE Dubai by David Begbie web
  • David Begbie 4023 Dubai Royal Meridien hotel lobby
    David Begbie 4023 Dubai Royal Meridien hotel lobby
  • D Begbie mesh sculpture 6632 Dubai Royal Meridien
    D Begbie mesh sculpture 6632 Dubai Royal Meridien
  • Boat sculpture AIRWAVE Dubai by David Begbie web
    Boat sculpture AIRWAVE Dubai by David Begbie web
  • Begbie floating ship 6616 UAE Royal Meridien
    Begbie floating ship 6616 UAE Royal Meridien
  • Begbie floating sculpture 6656 Le Royal Meridien
    Begbie floating sculpture 6656 Le Royal Meridien
  • Begbie floating sculpture 6638 Dubai Royal Meridien
    Begbie floating sculpture 6638 Dubai Royal Meridien
  • Begbie floating sculpture 6508 Dubai Royal Meridien
    Begbie floating sculpture 6508 Dubai Royal Meridien
  • Begbie floating mesh sculpture 6598 Royal Meridien
    Begbie floating mesh sculpture 6598 Royal Meridien
  • Begbie floating dhow 6576 Dubai Royal Meridien
    Begbie floating dhow 6576 Dubai Royal Meridien
  • Begbie floating art 6606 Dubai Le Royal Meridien
    Begbie floating art 6606 Dubai Le Royal Meridien
  • Begbie boat sculpture 6590 Dubai Royal Meridien
    Begbie boat sculpture 6590 Dubai Royal Meridien
  • Arabian dhow sculpture AIRWAVE Dubai by David Begbie web
    Arabian dhow sculpture AIRWAVE Dubai by David Begbie web

‘AIRWAVE‘ 2016


Abstract interpretation of an Arabic Dhow - floating (suspended) white-painted stainless steel-mesh composition.
White finished stainless steel-mesh, 600 x 375 x 110 cm.
Installation February 2017 at Le Royal Meridien, Dubai, Beach Resort & Spa, Dubai, UAE (Reception Area)

Commission by Interior design company LW for Hotel Interior Le Royal Meridien
Award Winner 2017/2018 in World's Best Africa & Arabia 2017-18

Watch a short video of 'AIRWAVE' Maquette here

Artist Statement

"Derived from Arabic dhow designs ‘AIRWAVE‘ is conceived as more than a sculptural rendition of a traditional vessel.
Fabricated in white painted stainless steel mesh, etherial, translucent, precariously poised, this 6 metre height suspended composition suggests it is more the soul of a vessel than a vessel itself. Rather than in water it floats in air. Phantom-like, this sculpture seems mysteriously poised between the elements where horizon is blurred or lost, its ethos suggesting it exists not only where sea and sky optically merge but in a place where they physically merge too and where they are neither one thing nor the other.
It’s an exploding apparition which draws attention to the tenuous line between liquid, air and that which is solid – water, mist, cloud, even ice. Its anti-gravitational composition ultimately expresses a vision and notion of invisible forces which surround us and which form part of everything which exists – electromagnetic and radio waves, light waves, wind and liquid shock waves as well as gravity and its counterpart relentlessly, persuasively, explosively shaping and forcing us to go with the flow."

Press

Article in Art Style Magazine Winter-Spring 2017 (open Press Article - English / Italian Language)

IL MASSIMO ESPONENTE DELLA SCULTURA IN RETE METALLICA
THE WORLD’S LEADING WIRE MESH SCULPTOR

by Josh Rowell

For his most recent commission David Begbie has created AIRWAVE, a six-meter high sculpture based on a Dhow, a traditional Arabic sailing ship. Made using the artist’s iconic wire mesh technique, AIRWAVE has been meticulously crafted so as to both resemble the ship, but at the same time add an abstracted reading into the very nature of a sailing vessel. AIRWAVE is set to be suspended in the entrance hall of Dubai’s Royal Meridien Beach Hotel in early 2017. Begbie has described the sculpture as ‘an exploding apparition, which draws attention to the fine line between liquid, air and that which is solid’. Begbie’s medium of choice, wire mesh, allows for the artist to undertake such large scale projects with great success and this monumental rendering of a ship, that seems to hang so effortlessly in the air, is just one example of the artist’s ever diversifying practice. Since graduating from the Slade School of Fine Art in the early 80’s, David Begbie has garnered the reputation as a leading figure of the wire mesh sculpting movement. Choosing to work primarily with the human form, Begbie’s meticulously crafted figures capture a level of detail that has been compared to the likes of Michelangelo and Rodin. Having perfected his technique over the past three decades, Begbie is able to manipulate wire mesh, both bronze and steel, to his will; achieving an almost hyper real level of exactness, working the metal until it eventually appears as perfectly formed and tactile as the skin of the human body.

He is able to seamlessly match the complex contouring of the nude form, whilst at the same time play with scale. He often switches between a real life scale, to larger than life, as well as occasionally choosing to work on a much smaller scale without ever losing any of the complex detailing he has become so well known for; his playful and diverse approach to the human form showcases what a true master of his craft he has become. His work exists at the interplay of sculpture and light; whilst wire mesh has become the physical medium through which the artist creates his sublime forms, light operates to give them enhanced energy, movement and depth. With the majority of Begbie’s figures suspended around a foot from the wall, the use of spot lighting creates fascinating shadows behind them that operate to show off the intricate details of the manipulated wire mesh, whilst at the same time giving a sense of volume and depth that the artworks so powerfully command.

Recent years have seen David Begbie expand his practice beyond that of the human form and towards creating a diverse range of sculptures, from abstract to representational. It seems that the artist’s wire mesh technique has limitless potential, AIRWAVE being a perfect example of this. Working on a monumental scale, the artist has deconstructed an Arabic Dhow (a traditional sailing vessel used on the Red Sea) into its individual components, bow, mast, sail and so on, before carefully rearranging each section into a complex suspended artwork. Through this work Begbie has sought to create something which is more than the mere sculptural rendering of a sailing ship, but instead something which captures the soul of the vessel, as much as the vessel itself. Fabricated entirely in white painted stainless steel mesh, the artist is quoted as saying, “rather than in water it oats in air. Phantom-like, this sculpture seems mysteriously poised between the elements where horizon is blurred or lost, its ethos suggesting it exists not only where sea and sky optically merge but in a place where they physically merge, to and where there are neither one thing nor the other.”

This highlights the depth of thought behind Begbie’s work, he is seeking to produce art that not only exists as an interpretation of a real object, but which also references the world on an elemental and philosophical level. With Begbie’s practice expanding and evolving at an ever-increasing pace, we are fascinated to see where the artist will take his wire mesh sculpting next. 2017 is expected to see the artist take on yet more exciting new projects and continue to affirm his position as the worlds leading wire mesh sculptor. Running from the 27th to the 30th of January 2017, David Begbie will be exhibited at the 41st edition of Arte Fiera Bologna, where his works can be found as part of the ContiniArtUK booth and Vecchiato Art Gallery.

2017 Artstyle Press Article: David Begbie The worlds-Leadding wire-mesh-sculptor
It's a great piece in the perfect place as when the lobby doors open a little draft comes in and gently blows the pieces so it moves slightly and looks like it's floating through!
Le Royal Meridian Hotel Guest in Dubai
sculpture of a wiremesh boat with shadows
'AIRWAVE' 2016, Maquette video
1/2 minute
Model and inspiration for a large suspended boat sculpture, made of wire mesh.
Model or maquette for a large Arabic dhow sculpture commissioned for Le Royal Meridien, Dubai, UAE, The Hub Latitude (Reception Area):
‘AIRWAIVE’ 2017 - see all photos of the large sculpture below.
Derived from Arabic dhow designs ‘AIRWAVE‘ is conceived as more than a sculptural rendition of a traditional vessel – an abstract interpretation of an Arabic Dhow - a floating (suspended) white-painted stainless steel-mesh composition, approx. 7 metres height.
Back to project overview
A few ‘Begbie’ owners you might know
Giorgio Armani
Michael Barrymore
Eric Clapton
Jeremy Clarkson (Top Gear / BBC)
Harvey Goldsmith (promoter)
George Leventis
Emily Maitlis (BBC News Night)
Debbie Moore (Pineapple Dance studios)
Vidal Sassoon (Haircare Ltd.)
Martina Navratilova
Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran)
Sir Clive Sinclair (C5 car)
Frankie Vaughan (late)

Public examples
St. Mary, Wherwell Chilbolton
Millennium Dome, London
Manangel, Birmingham
The Jam House, Edinburgh
Shrine of Walsingham, Norfolk
Wimbledon Centre Court Building
‘Figure & Fountain‘ Southwark, London

Corporate and Private Acquisition Examples
8 Northumberland, London
British Consulate-General Shanghai
British Embassy Khartoum, Sudan
Buddha-Bar London
Cannons City Gym
Christian Dior, Paris
Eric and Jean Cass Collection
Coloplast Ltd., London
Conning Asset Management, London
Christian Dior Couture, Paris
Hanover Grange Jamaica
Heron Corporation
Hyatt Hotel Group
Johnson & Johnson
Jumeirah Hotel Group
Le Royal Meridien Hotel Group
Mein Schiff Cruise Lines
Mews of Mayfair, London
Radisson Edwardian Hotel Group
Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines
SAS Radisson Hotel Group

Museums
Natural History Museum, London
International Slavery Museum, Liverpool
Galleria Nazionali de Arte Moderna, Rome
Museum Beelden an Zee, The Netherlands
Court of Justice, Almelo, The Netherlands
National Gallery Canberra, Australia
Nickel Arts Museum, Calgary, USA
My sculptures have no palpable substance or surface. At first glance they appear to be a metallic membrane but when you take a closer look they are not even a skin - they are instead a delineation of surface and form, modelled and drawn in three-dimensional space.
David Begbie
Last updated: 20/03/24