Abdulla Lufti: 'Only Autistic People Have Souls'

by Alexandra Mansilla

Abdulla Lufti: 'Only Autistic People Have Souls'

13 May 2024

Abdulla Lufti is an Emirati artist on the autism spectrum who is not just incredibly talented — you really need to check out his work if you haven't yet — but he is also super kind and always has a smile on his face. Despite facing tough times (like bullying at school), he still considers himself a happy person. The only thing that really gets him down? Being asked to work on weekends.

Let’s dive into Abdulla’s world and his unique, humour-filled black and white artworks.

— Your amazing artworks are in black and white. Why is that?

— I remember since around the 7th grade, I started finding colours slightly jarring and stressful, though I enjoyed drawing. In order to continue enjoying art, I chose to only use black and white. I found it soothing, and I hope others do, too.

— Your studio is named "The Next Chapter". What inspired this name?

— For the last many years, I have been associated with Mawaheb, an art studio for adults with special needs. When it closed down during the pandemic in 2020, I felt it was time to take the next steps in my journey. With the support of my mentor, Gulshan Kavarana, and my wonderful team, we decided it was time to open my own studio, which was “the next chapter” in my life, hence the name.

— Did you attend a regular school?

— Yes, I attended mainstream school and sat with other children who were on the autism spectrum, like me. But I don’t have great memories of that time as I was constantly bullied. I remember enjoying math and computer classes.

Source: @abdullalutfi

— Bullying in school — could you share what that was like and how you dealt with it?

— I remember being bullied ever since kindergarten, and I remember telling my teachers that I was born differently so that they could help me. But no one really helped and the bullying just continued. I had to learn to stand up for myself as I grew older. It was always the “regular” kids who did this, not the ones with autism.

— Your words: "Children have no souls". If children have no souls, who has souls? And why?

— Well, only autistic people have souls because we “see” other people. We have empathy, compassion, and love for others. Kids who bully have no souls at all. This is a true story from my life.

— Having thousands of followers on Instagram can be overwhelming. Have you ever felt intimidated by the attention, or has it been beneficial for you?

— I get a lot of love for my art, and ever since I became active on Instagram, more people know about me and my black-and-white art. I like the attention and love coming my way as long as it doesn’t disturb me on my holiday. I wish to get 1 million followers so that more people can see what I do daily in my happy life.

Instagram: @abdullalutfi

— His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum noticed your art. Can you describe what you felt that day?

— I created an art piece especially for His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, covering the past, present and future of Dubai. The past was depicted with the World Trade Centre built by Sheikh Rashid; the present (at that time) was the Emirates Towers which was built by Sheikh Maktoum, and I showed the future with the DIFC Gate — because when Sheikh Mohammed became Ruler of Dubai, he envisioned this. So I put the whole story together on one long canvas in black and white, and he loved it. This piece was specially commissioned for His Highness Sheikh Maktoum. I was invited to Sheikh Mohammed’s office on the 51st floor of the Emirates Towers and that was very memorable to me.

— You mentioned reading manga, anime, and comic books during your school days. Aside from the manga "One Piece", what were some of your other favourites?

— "Dragon Ball", "Naruto", "Demon Slayer", "Jujutsu Kaisen" and "My Hero Academia" are my favourites.

— Your artwork is heavily influenced by humour. Do you believe it is the best way to navigate life's complexities?

— Humour helps me through life and I enjoy seeing funny things or memes. I feel like there is a television in my head, and it captures some of these funny moments or memes and then I just go and draw it.

— Do you remember the last time you laughed really hard? What was it?

— I just love watching funny, silly videos and especially memes. I always have a hearty laugh.

— Your mentor, Gulshan Kavarana, has been influential in your journey. Can you recall how you first met Gulshan?

— After I graduated from high school, my parents felt college or university wasn't for me and instead enrolled in an art school for people with special needs called Mawaheb. Gulshan was the art mentor there, and that is when I met her. It was a long and beautiful journey learning from her — not just art, but life skills.

When Mawaheb closed down during the pandemic, my parents approached Gulshan, and we decided to continue our journey together. That is how "The Next Chapter" was born. And she continues to help me commission and market my art. She is an invaluable asset to my entrepreneurial journey, and I believe everyone with special needs should have a mentor who believes in them, as Gulshan believes in me. The greatest gift Gulshan gave me was to believe in myself.

Instagram: @abdullalutfi

— Many people don’t know how to communicate with individuals on the autism spectrum. Do you have any advice on how to effectively interact with them, considering the varying levels of autism spectrum disorder?

— The world can be a harsh place sometimes. You know what I would say to people? Just accept the people with special needs; please don’t bully them. Love them and be friends with them, get to know them, be kind and respectful, that is all.

— You now conduct workshops for children. Can you recall your first workshop and describe how you felt during that experience?

— To be honest, I was quite nervous about conducting a workshop for children at first because of my own experiences as a child. But with time, things got better. I didn’t want my past fears to stop me, and I reminded myself to believe in myself. Now, I can manage a class pretty well. They listen to my instructions and give me their attention when I ask them to.

— Would you describe yourself as a happy person?

— Yes, I am.

— What can make you happy?

— It really makes me happy when I see my art in the malls, in people’s houses.

— What can make you unhappy now?

— I don’t like people asking me to work during the weekends; that does not make me happy at all.

— Among your works, is there the most significant for you? Why?

— I would say my first exhibition was the most significant because it established me as an independent artist. This was at Cuadro Art Gallery in DIFC.

— What are you working on now?

— I am working on anime characters and Emiratis — two things that I love the most.

— Wow, what anime characters?

— Well, I am working on the new collection, so I can’t reveal too much. It is a surprise, you will have to wait for the exhibition to see it!

by Alexandra Mansilla