Mowen Li

Aug 22, 2023 — my first day at NYU Abu Dhabi. Stepping onto campus in the sweltering summer heat, I felt a mix of excitement and uncertainty. My mind swirled with questions: after years of working, was returning to school the right choice? What would life in Abu Dhabi be like? Could this place become my new home? I had no answers.  

But from the very first week, NYUAD gave me no time for doubt. Each day was filled with new experiences, learnings, and discoveries. As an artist, I wanted to capture these moments, so I began to draw my life at NYUAD.

I drew my first meal with professors and classmates, the insights from class discussions, the beautiful performances at the Red Theater, the inspiring lectures at the Conference Center, and focused hours in my studio. I sketched morning walks where I met students from all over the world, the excitement of school trips to art exhibitions in Dubai and Sharjah, the joy of yoga and belly dancing classes, and the birds chirping outside my dorm window. 

At first, these sketches were just personal reflections. But everything changed when I showed them to my professors, classmates, and visitors at MFA Studio Open Day. To my surprise, they were curious and fascinated, not only by the paintings, but also by the stories behind. Their encouragement inspired me to share my journey more widely. 

So I kept painting, not only campus life but also my travels across the UAE and the Middle East. By the end of my first year, my visual diaries had grown into something bigger. Inspired by Bedouin traditions, I created a tent with my diaristic paintings, inviting people to sit inside, flip through my visual diaries, and contribute their own. Later, through the MFA program, I exhibited this tent at Abu Dhabi Art, where I shared my stories with a wider audience, and encouraged them to draw their stories. 

I took my NYUAD life stories to more places. At COP28 in Dubai, I presented how my experience planting mangroves with the NYUAD communities had inspired me to create artworks exploring climate and sustainability. At the China-Gulf Forum in Abu Dhabi, I shared my personal discoveries about art and culture in the Gulf and how I use art for cross-cultural communications. 

Now, as I prepare for my graduation exhibition at 421 gallery, I look back at these two years and see how each drawing, each experience, has shaped me. What began as a simple diary has become a journey full of discoveries, connections and stories. Even after I leave NYUAD,  I will carry this spirit forward — continue exploring, creating, and capturing new stories.