A talented teenage artist raced over to the kingdom for a special celebration after thrilling bosses at the home of motorsport in the Middle East with her epic portrayal of a perfect pit stop by mighty McLaren, the Bahrain-owned F1 outfit.
Dubai-based Aina Shamsudeen was delighted that her special painting of the Formula 1 world record breaking 1.80 seconds tyre change earned her an invitation to visit Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) for the first time.
She flew to the kingdom with her work of art as a special gift for BIC chief executive Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa.
“It all started with an email,” the 19-year-old told the GDN. “When I finished the painting, I sent an image of my work to the BIC. Much to my surprise, the circuit responded, offering to place it on display. It was truly such an incredible opportunity to visit and gift Shaikh Salman with the painting,” she added.
Ms Shamsudeen, who originates from the Indian state of Kerala but was born and raised in the UAE, described the trip as an ‘early birthday’ present’.
“It was truly an honour to meet Shaikh Salman, and I really valued the time he took to meet me and my parents; his generosity made the day even more memorable,” she said, adding that she celebrated her birthday just three days later.
“Every year, the BIC creates licence plates featuring the date of the annual race and to my surprise I was given one with the 2024 race date, autographed by McLaren F1 drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.”
The young artist, who is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in architecture, said that her love for F1 inspired her to create her painting. “Even though I have never been to a race in person, I have always had a fascination for the sport, and I enjoy the technical side of things, especially the idea of pit stops. The McLaren world record stop was just amazing to watch on TV.”
McLaren set the record on Lap 27 of the F1 Qatar Grand Prix 2023 when Norris came into the pits. Unbeknownst to him, his pit crew was about to make history as they changed his tyres two seconds faster than any other team. Red Bull set the previous world record of 1.82 seconds in 2019.
Ms Shamsudeen used watercolour and gouache to complete her interpretation of the event. Gouache is a water-medium paint consisting of natural pigment, water, a binding agent and sometimes additional inter material. It is similar to watercolour in that it can be rewetted and dried to a matte finish, and the paint can become infused into its paper support.
The artist said that she has always enjoyed drawing and being creative. The talented student also plays guitar, ukulele and keyboard and hopes to learn the violin in the future. “I really thank my parents for being so supportive of everything I do,” she added. “Usually, a lot of parents would try to push their children into a ‘more reliable’ activity but they have always supported my artistic side,” she said, recounting a childhood memory of her mother framing a certificate she won in a local art contest. “Even though it was small, by her framing it, it made me realise my passion for art and help encourage me to achieve more,” she said.
She added that this opportunity has led to a changed perspective on how to succeed in the art world. “It’s crazy to think that this opportunity came from an email to the BIC,” she said. “Many artists typically wait for opportunities and the fact that by reaching out resulted in such an experience has definitely changed my perspective on how to approach situations.
“I would encourage other young artists to put themselves out there. Sometimes you have to go looking for the opportunity, it won’t always come to you.”
- To checkout more of her artwork, follow @ainashams24 on Instagram.
julia@gdnmedia.bh
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