When Fabiola Chiminazzo left her studio in her countryside home in Brazil and moved to the UAE for her husband’s work a few years ago, she came with the intention of not only rebuilding her studio in a new country, but also to reinvigorate her approach to art.

Chiminazzo felt she needed more connection and growth in her practice, to experiment more. “I wanted to learn and discuss my art with more experienced artists,” Chiminazzo said. Enrolling in the Master of Fine Arts degree at NYU Abu Dhabi provided the bridge to get her back into her practice while learning from other artists. 

Growth and change, while rewarding, can be difficult but Chiminazzo wanted to commit to a new philosophical approach The trial and error of her approaches led to unexpected but positive directions for her work resulting in a submission to the Art Circle award, a non-profit organization that promotes artists in the region.

Titled From Ousha to Nora: 3504 Lunar Cycles, Chiminazzo created a connection between Emirati poet Ousha Al Suwaidi and first Emirati female astronaut Nora Al Matrooshi through the concept of reaching for the moon. 

The resulting work was a piece where Chiminazzo carefully scratched the surface of her canvas 3,504 times in circular movements to represent the number of lunar cycles between the two women’s births.

“I try to convey strong emotions in my art and make layers of meaning to the work. I want my work to be open enough for everyone to feel whatever it is that fits their life at that moment,” Chiminazzo said. The piece won her the Art Circle award.

Additionally, Chiminazzo was also awarded an NYUAD post-graduation research fellowship and will continue to trust her curiosity and explore new ways of creating after graduation