Whether you want to create calligraphy or candles, there’s an art class for everyone.
It doesn’t matter if you don’t know your Picasso from your Pollock, as you can embrace your creative side at art classes in Dubai. It’s not just about having a brush at painting, as there are classes covering sewing, sculpting and sketching. Plus, if you thought Dubai lacked quirks, we implore you to try painting on paper cups or deodorant making – there’s an art to everything, after all.
Alserkal Avenue is home to many of the art classes in Dubai, but there are workshops you can enjoy in a range of venues, from five-star hotels to the comfort of your home. Since many studios provide the tools, all you have to do is come with your imagination. Here are the most amazing art classes in Dubai. Sign us up.
Gulf Photo Plus
Your holiday snaps will look a whole lot better after you visit Alserkal Avenue’s Gulf Photo Plus. The studio offers some of the best photography art classes in Dubai, covering food photography, studio lighting, Adobe Photoshop, and the basics of analogue photography. Even if you don’t have a fancy digital camera, you can take the smartphone photography and editing course. Plus, there are kids’ summer photography camps where children can learn to use a camera, culminating in a photo shoot. Alongside its educational programme, Gulf Photo Plus operates a specialist photography shop, exhibition space and professional printing and framing service.
Where: Gulf Photo Plus, Alserkal Avenue, Al Qouz, Dubai
Contact: https://gulfphotoplus.com
Kave: The Story of Things
Knitting is cool – just ask the likes of Cara Delevigne, Sarah Jessica Parker and the students who come to Kave: The Story of Things. The bohemian vibes are real at Alserkal Avenue’s Kave. Sustainability sits at the heart of this Alserkal Avenue café and creative space, which has an eco-conscious outlook. The changing workshop programme spans tactile pursuits including jam-making, chemical-free deodorant-making, painting, and, of course, a community embroidery club. Its earthy interiors and upcycled furnishings add to the atmosphere, making KAVE a particularly appealing choice for anyone who prefers their creativity with a social and sustainable edge.
Where: Kave: The Story of Things, Alserkal Avenue, Al Qouz, Dubai
Contact: @kavepeople
Light of Sakina
Swap the usual routine for something more creative at Light of Sakina. The homegrown fragrance brand hosts an intimate candle-making masterclass where participants learn how scent, wax and craftsmanship come together. Guided by the brand’s artisan chandlers, guests work with 100 per cent natural soy wax, organic essential oils and lead-free cotton wicks before developing a personalised fragrance profile. The workshop also covers professional pouring techniques, allowing each participant to create a bespoke candle complete with customised packaging to take home.
Where: Light of Sakina, Costra Business Park, Production City, Dubai
Contact: www.lightofsakina.com
Maison 21G
If you have ever wanted a fragrance that is entirely your own, Maison 21G offers the chance to create one. The Parisian-inspired perfumery at Dubai Hills Mall hosts interactive scent creation workshops led by its fragrance specialists. Guests can explore 35 sustainably sourced essences before combining their favourites into a personalised perfume that reflects their individual tastes and personality. The experience takes place around Maison 21G’s scent bar, where participants learn more about fragrance families and the art of perfume blending. Once the formula is complete, the finished fragrance is presented in a personalised engraved bottle to take home.
Where: Maison 21G, Dubai Hills Mall, Dubai Hills
Contact: @maison21gme
Sketch Art Café
If you’re a compulsive doodler, let your drawings run wild at Sketch Art Café. Proving that just about anything can be your canvas, this café-meets-studio on Al Wasl Road in Jumeirah encourages you to embrace your inner child and draw directly onto paper cups. Whether you want to go full David Shrigley or create your own mug shot, this is one of the more alternative art classes in Dubai. Order a drink and settle in with pencils, paints and plenty of imagination before creating something worthy of the café’s colourful displays.
Where: Sketch Art Café, Boxpark Jumeirah, Al Wasl Road, Dubai
Contact: @sketchartcafe
SkillDeer
You can paint the town and more, thanks to SkillDeer Dubai. This database is home to plenty of art classes in Dubai – the more you scroll, the more your creative juices will begin to flow. The joy is in the variety, flexible dates and the fact that you can join an art class in a group, privately or online. Its extensive catalogue spans silk painting, glass painting, mandala drawing, African art, gouache painting, pillow art, and resin art for coasters and tissue boxes. It is an easy starting point when you know you want to learn something new but have not decided what.
Where: Skilldeer, Indigo Icon Tower, Cluster F, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Contact: https://skilldeer.com
Tashkeel Makerspace
Get your hands dirty on Sundays with Tashkeel’s Wheel Throwing Series for beginners. Hosted at Tashkeel Makerspace in Alserkal Avenue, the eight-session programme introduces newcomers to the foundations of working with clay under the guidance of the organisation’s experienced pottery team. Students begin by learning centring, opening, and pulling techniques before progressing to practical pieces, including bowls, plates, planters, and vases. Later sessions cover trimming and preparing finished creations for the kiln, providing participants with a rounded introduction to the pottery process. Open to ages 16 and above, the course runs weekly for two months.
Where: Tashkeel Makerspace, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz, Dubai
Contact: tashkeel.org
Thejamjar
If romantic images of a room where you can paint – think Allie in The Notebook – are what you’re dreaming of, then the closest you’ll get to that in Dubai is Thejamjar. The studio offers an extensive range of art classes in Dubai for kids, teens, and adults. There are one-off classes and courses that cover everything from acrylic techniques to transcendent healing through art. There is a DIY painting studio for anyone who would rather create independently. Plus, the painting parties, which can be organised for children, colleagues or celebrations, are also a fun way to learn a new skill.
Where: Thejamjar, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz, Dubai
Contact: www.thejamjardubai.com
ThreadWerk
ThreadWerk wears its art on its sleeve, as it specialises in sewing classes. The instructors are passionate about ditching fast fashion in favour of handmade clothes. Whether you want to save your garments or create brand-new ones, these sewing classes will help you feel confident behind the needle as well as the machine. Based in Jumeirah Lakes Towers, the KHDA-accredited craft centre specialises in sewing, knitting and crochet for adults, teenagers and children. The classes cover freestyle sewing and dressmaking, plus there are niche classes that teach you how to handle certain fabrics. The studio also loves to host groups, as baby showers and birthday parties are welcome.
Where: ThreadWerk, The Dome Tower, Cluster N, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Contact: www.threadwerk.com
The Workshop
If you want to get your Monet’s worth, then make a beeline for The Workshop. The venue is located off Al Wasl Road and is home to an art gallery, an antique gallery, a boutique shop, and a café serving speciality coffee. Plus, if you want to show off your skills, it hosts music and poetry nights. Compared to other art classes in Dubai, this studio has a local touch – there’s gold-leaf painting, abstract Arabic calligraphy, mirror mosaics, acrylic desert landscape painting and farouka making. While the traditional art classes cover candle making, sculpture, painting and clay art.
Where: The Workshop, Villa 45, 23B Street, Jumeirah, Dubai
Contact: www.theworkshopdubai.com
Tufting Time
Swap screens for something more tactile with a creative session at Tufting Time. Located on the ground floor of Town Centre Jumeirah, the colourful studio introduces beginners to the surprisingly addictive art of rug making. Participants can design their own rug, wall hanging or decorative piece before learning how to operate a tufting gun under the guidance of the studio’s instructors. From choosing colours and tracing a design to filling, trimming and finishing the creation, the process turns a few hours of crafting into something you can actually take home. No previous experience is required, making this an easy midweek activity for friends, couples or anyone looking to try a new creative pursuit. From AED 150 per person.
Where: Tufting Time, Town Centre Jumeirah, Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai
Contact: https://tuftingtime.com
We Love Art
With a name like We Love Art, there’s no denying that the creators are passionate about all things arty. The studio offers one-off paint-and-grape classes, as well as an eight-week painting course. The beginner course will teach you different strokes – landscape, portrait, still life and collage. Plus, over time, you can flex your style and create a masterpiece. The classes take place in different locations across Dubai and Abu Dhabi, from five-star hotels to restaurants. For those who prefer painting at home, the Artbox experience delivers the tools and tutorials to your door, so you can learn to paint without anyone watching.
Where: Intercontinental Marina Bay Central, Dubai Marina
Contact: www.weloveart.com
Wild Paint House
Forget carefully colouring between the lines. Wild Paint House in Al Quoz encourages visitors to make a mess in the name of creativity, with interactive sessions designed around splattering, pouring, spinning and spraying paint. Guests can step inside dedicated studio booths and experiment with different techniques, from neon UV painting to manual spin tables, before leaving with their own colourful creation. No previous artistic experience is required, making it an easy option for date nights, groups of friends or anyone looking for something different to do indoors. Sessions start from AED 160 per person, with all the materials needed to embrace your inner artist included.
Where: Wild Paint House, Al Marabea Street, Al Quoz, Dubai
Contact: www.wildpainthouse.com