Door of Dubai – after an initial visit to the United Arab Emirates, made possible by the patronage of the honorable Mrs. Fawzia Mubarak Abdul-Aziz Al-Hassawi of Sharjah, Wilson created a monumental artwork to commemorate Dubai’s long history and place on the world stage. Inspired by Ghiberti’s,
Early Renaissance bronze “Gates of Paradise” (circa 1401) and working from his own original illustrations, the artist employed classic techniques of forging, chasing, and repoussé, hammering out of pure copperplate a radiant gate composed of panels, each illustrating the chronology and development of Dubai — its architecture, flora, and fauna.
Completed in 2012, the result of more than a full year’s labor, Thomas Wilson’s “Door of Dubai” is a dramatic historical tribute to this jewel city of the UAE.