Sports fans in Washington DC, were treated to an exciting week of tennis as top-level players vied for the trophy of the Mubadala Citi DC Open, which concluded on Sunday.

This event is the world’s only combined Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and Women's Tennis Association (WTA) 500-level tennis tournament. The 2024 edition featured nine of the world’s top 20 players, including Grand Slam champions and local favourites. 

Mubadala is the title partner of the tournament; its support for the event reflects its commitment to excellence in sports. As a UAE-based investor with a global reach, it is keen to showcase its cultural identity at international events by promoting the UAE’s culture, strengthen international relations and enhance brand visibility and influence in diverse markets.

One way in which Mubadala sought to celebrate UAE culture at this international event was by commissioning an Emirati artist to design a trophy that reflects the spirit of innovation and creativity from the UAE.

The designer, Azza Al Qubaisi, is a jewellery artist, product designer, sculptor and entrepreneur who exhibited internationally in London, Helsinki, Berlin and Milan. She was there in person when her trophy was handed over to the winner, Paula Badosa. Describing her feelings at that moment, she said: “Watching my trophy, as an Emirati woman, being raised by a renowned tennis star at such prestigious international sports event filled me with immense pride and joy. It was a moment of profound connection and recognition on a global stage, paving the way for change and elevating the presence of female artists internationally.”

The trophy is inspired by the letter "W," representing the empowerment and resilience of women's tennis (W – WTA, Washington, Winning). Its dynamic shape reflects the balance and movement of a match, with one side for the winner and the other for the runner-up. The spiral motif beautifully captures the energy of a tennis ball in play, making this trophy not just a prize but a piece of art that tells a story of triumph and determination.

This is not Azza’s first collaboration with Mubadala. She also designed the Mubadala World Tennis Championship trophy in 2009, that was won by Rafael Nadal. More recently, in February 2024, she created the trophy for the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open women's tournament.

Azza is very pleased with this association: “It is an honour to get the opportunity not just as an Emirati but also as a woman. It is a very powerful statement for Mubadala to offer such an opportunity. It says a lot about us as a progressive nation and about our leaders and how we think and support the arts and sport.”

She notes that female artists currently receive fewer than 10% of the market opportunities in the art world, a stark contrast to their male counterparts. "As an Emirati woman, the extensive support and opportunities I receive within my country are a testament to our progress and sophistication across various fields."

On her sources of inspiration and how she came to discover the artist in her, she said it was quite clear from a very early age. “As a teenager, I had a huge interest in colour and painting and was eager to take art classes even after school time. Alhamdullilah I was blessed with parents who supported all those aspects.”

Growing up, she had the opportunity to continue her education in London and that’s when she realized that art can be studied, just like engineering and medicine. As soon as she arrived in London, she decided to take a foundation at Chelsea College of Art and Design.

She is grateful to her parents whose support was instrumental in helping her pursue her passion. “I always say my dad gave me the golden ticket because he allowed me to take choice in my education at a very young age,”

On returning home, Azza had no second thought about her next steps. “The first thing I did was find a place and establish a space as a workshop to do my creative work. It was clear to me that I wanted to be a fulltime artist and create.”

Her gate to the practice was wearable art. “I had assumed I would be making jewellery all my life. But I soon realized that I was not afraid of scale. I kept jumping from one size to the other. I don’t know up to now how I acquired that ability, but I believe we all have different abilities that we gain at a young age, and it must be some time in my childhood.”

Azza’s next step was exhibiting her art, and it was during that period that she was commissioned to do product design of some gifts for one of the entities in Abu Dhabi. At that point she felt it was a good way to earn her living. She has been in the business of creating product design for over two decades now, financing her own career as an artist through product design.

“I have never had a government job. I have been very focused on building my career as an artist and a designer.”

The External Influences

About the impact of living abroad on her evolution as an artist, Azza says: “I think when you leave your country- when you are out of the box- you are able to appreciate who you are as a human being. During my five years in London, I discovered how deeply I loved and cherished my environment. I saw myself as an outcome of this environment. I realized how closely I was connected to it, and I wanted through my art to tell its story.”

Living abroad also put the artist face-to-face with the question of identity. “One of the first questions that popped into my mind was what is it that makes me Emirati? In Seeking Identity, one of my first series, I used aspects related to the palm tree and the mangrove tree to try to find an answer to that question. And yeah, the search continues up to now, after two decades.”

As part of her attempt at answering the question of identity, Azza worked on motifs related to the past, like pearl harvesting. She wanted to shed light on her ancestors’ life before the discovery of oil. “I wanted to show that we were never sitting on a golden plate. We were hard working people. So, to me, understanding who we are as a society is very vital to understanding who I am today and to prepare for the future.”

Azza Al Qubaisi 

• Born in Abu Dhabi and educated in London, Al Qubaisi holds an MA in cultural and creative industries from HCT-CERT and a BA in Silversmithing, Jewellery design and allied crafts, from London Guildhall.
• Exhibited locally and internationally in group and solo shows, she represented the UAE in “A 1001 steps Festival” in Helsinki, Finland 2004 and the first artist to exhibit in DIFC in 2005. Al Qubaisi exhibited in “Language of the Desert” in Abu Dhabi, 'Three Generations' by ADMAF at Sotheby’s London and UAE national day exhibition at Expo Milan 2015 and “Portrait of Nation” by ADMAF in Abu Dhabi 2016 and Berlin 2017.
• Was published in several books and publications, her wearable art from Life series and Bareeq Al Oudh series were published in “500 Earrings: New Directions in Contemporary Jewellery: 2007” by Lark Books.
• Recipient of many local and international recognitions, including the British Council YCE Award, and the Emirates Women Award in Business and Social Contributions categories.