DUBAI: Internationally-acclaimed London-based artist Dan Pearce has revealed the inspiration for his work to mark the 20th anniversary of the Four Seasons Hotel Doha, titled “Kinetic Drop.”

Known for commissions from French football icon Paul Pogba, other celebrities and global exhibitions, the artist’s bespoke sculpture is crafted from stainless steel.

“I titled this sculpture ‘Kinetic Drop’ because it captures that precise moment when a water droplet collides with a surface, that split second when kinetic energy disperses in all directions,” Pearce told Arab News recently.

“With all my work, I aim to trigger one of three responses: to make viewers think ‘how did he do that?’ to inspire them to touch the artwork, or to encourage movement around the piece for different perspectives,” he added.

The artist, who was born in Australia, is known for his pop culture-inspired work and often turns to DC Comics, musicians and street art for source material.

Taking inspiration from the hotel and its surroundings in Doha may have been a welcome departure for the artist. “The sculpture is mounted on a map of Qatar.

“Geographically, Qatar is also surrounded by water as a peninsula while Four Seasons Doha is situated on the Arabian Gulf where I could see endless views of the shimmering waters from our room — this was also part of the inspiration behind the piece,” he explained.

As for the location of the artwork, the artist said it “could create a sense of urgency and exclusivity, encouraging visitors and guests to interact and connect with it on a social level and experience it before it’s gone.”

Pearce’s work has captured the attention of celebrities and worldwide brands, with commissioned pieces for boxing champion Anthony Joshua, Grammy nominee Rag’n’Bone Man, and hip-hop star 50 Cent, to name a few.

Ensuring his work can be understood across cultures is something that was particularly important to Pearce in the run-up to his showcase in Doha.

“With the concept of the sculpture being water, this makes it universally significant across all cultures. Water represents life, renewal, and connection which are key elements that can transcend cultural boundaries,” he said.

DHAHRAN: Palestinian-Jordanian artist Zeyne is here for her close-up — and she’s bringing the inspirational women in her family along. 

Zeyne’s latest single “Hilwa” dropped this week and the artwork — shot by Zaid Allozi — shows three women interlocked by their braided hair. 

“The image shows three generations — me, my mother, and my grandmother — all connected by one continuous braid. It’s a symbol of inheritance; the quiet strength and love passed from one woman to the next,” Zeyne tells Arab News. “The braid holds the kind of love that isn’t always spoken, but is deeply felt and remembered.” 

The 27-year-old is using her music to reclaim narrative, identity and joy — singing of Arab womanhood in its most defiant, soulful and cinematic form. 

“We shot (the artwork) in a handmade mudbrick house in the Jordan Valley, built using traditional Levantine methods. These homes — found across Palestine, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon — aren’t just sustainable, they carry memory. They connect us to land, to lineage, and to something deeper,” Zeyne says.  

“Hilwa” is an uplifting anthem released via Saudi-based MDLBEAST Records, in partnership with Zeyne’s own label, Scarab Records.  

“When we saw the vision Zeyne and her team had, it was a no brainer, we were ready to jump right in and help amplify what was already there and build together towards a sustainable, long-running, global project stemming from the heart of the MENA region,” Talal Albahiti, COO and head of talent at MDLBEAST, tells Arab News. “MDLBEAST Records always champions the upcoming hard workers and visionaries, and Zeyne exemplifies these qualities perfectly.”  

Following Zeyne’s 2024 hit “Asli Ana,” which reimagined Arab rhythmic traditions through a futuristic lens, “Hilwa” pays homage to her mother and grandmother, whose love and wisdom deeply shaped her sense of identity. “While ‘Asli Ana’ was about resistance, ‘Hilwa’ is softer,” she says.  

Through Zeyne’s reflective lyrics and emotional vocal delivery, “Hilwa” explores how beauty and self-worth are inherited — not just genetically, but through stories, memories, and values passed down by generations of Arab women. “You’re so beautiful and no one can say otherwise,” she sings at one point. 

Born Zein Sajdi in Amman in 1997, Zeyne was raised in a household where music and culture were key. Her father was a record collector, her mother led a dabke troupe, and her sister trained as a classical pianist. Zeyne began performing aged five and was already writing her own lyrics in her teens. 

She studied sociology and media communications at the University of Sussex in the UK, but the COVID-19 pandemic redirected her path. Returning to Amman in 2020, she turned her full attention to music — writing, recording and developing her distinct sound. 

Since the release of her 2021 debut single, “Minni Ana,” Zeyne has carved a singular lane in Arab pop — merging traditional Arabic sounds with modern, genre-defying production. Since then, she has released several acclaimed singles, collaborated with artists including Palestinian singer-songwriter Saint Levant, and written for fellow Jordanian-Palestinian musician Issam Alnajjar, Lebanese-Canadian singer-songwriter Massari, and the acclaimed Chilean-Palestinian star Elyanna.  

With more than 46 million streams across various platforms, Zeyne’s music has become a touchstone for Arab youth globally, offering a sound that is intimate, cinematic and emotionally resonant. Her boundary-pushing sound and evocative vocals have established her as one of the region’s most important cultural voices.  

Earlier this year, she launched a three-stop regional mini tour, “The Golden-Hour Run,” that included a landmark performance at the OffLimits Festival in the UAE and stadium appearances as a special guest on Ed Sheeran’s Mathematics Tour in Qatar and Bahrain, where she performed to over 65,000 people.  

She became the first female artist from the Levant to appear on the globally renowned music platform COLORS with her song “Ma Bansak,” and a viral performance in collaboration with Bottega Veneta blurred the lines between fashion, music, and Palestinian resistance. 

But Zeyne’s influence stretches far beyond music.  

As an EQUAL Arabia ambassador, she lit up Times Square in New York City, solidifying her status as an emerging symbol of contemporary Arab identity and woman empowerment. Her inclusion in the DAZED Global 100 further cemented her status as a fearless voice reshaping representation and storytelling in and beyond the region. 

“Hilwa” captures all of that—vulnerability, defiance, and a deep sense of generational continuity. On Instagram, she wrote that the song stems from an assembly line of greatness, and is “a love letter to all the women in my life — my mother, my grandmother and even my younger self — you are beautiful, and no words can say otherwise.” 

This summer, Zeyne brings that message to the stage. She will perform in London on July 19 and 20, Paris on July 22, and Jerash on July 28, before heading to Saudi Arabia for back-to-back concerts in Riyadh on Aug. 7 and Jeddah on Aug. 8.