EARLY LIFE & EDUCATION

Seized by a desire to create unique, innovative art, Essam is pushing the boundaries of creativity, exploring all its various stages.

He is considered one of the most vibrant and successful creative art directors in the region, leading the field of visual arts with his own unique brand of ideas and creativity.

Working as a creative director for several multi-international design agencies, Essam loves to create stunning visuals while looking ahead to raise artistic standards.

In addition to his work as a visual artist, Essam also loves acting. In his first movie role, he won the best actor award for his role as Issam in the 2012 short film Snip. He has also written and supervised several television commercials for products worldwide.

Looking back over his storied career, Essam believes that anyone can realize their dreams with patience and passion.

Essam graduated with a degree in Fine Arts from the University of Damascus, Syria, in 1996. He initially began his career in oil painting, earning his living from his work while in school. He took a leap of faith and moved to Dubai in 1998, where his career blossomed.

Essam is the son of Adel Albouini, a well known poet and writer who has published many books in the region.

Essam’s passion for photography began as a hobby that quickly flourished with his dedication to hard work and study.

CAREER

Essam started his career while studying painting and selling his work in Damascus.

After moving to Dubai in 1998, he started working as an art director and artist in an advertising agency.

Within four months, he created and developed a worldwide tourism campaign – Dubai: The Nest of Golden Eggs for Dubai Economy & Tourism (DTCM) in 1999. The campaign was a great success and was seen in more than a hundred countries and printed in more than five hundred publications worldwide.

A vibrant, creative digital artist, Essam’s passion for photography compels him to continuously explore the rewarding photographic experience by visually experimenting and interpreting new ideas.

In 2012 he opened Consultancy Creative House Studio, specialising in photography and digital creative art called iLike.

CAREER & FUTURE PLANS

Fascinated by the impact of new technology, Essam began a new venture combining his design skills with the latest technology.

This led to the design and development of iLike DINO, complete design and concept of a range of dinosaur puzzle toys for kids that use an augmented reality application that makes them fun and educational. The iLike DINO toys are now available in both the UAE and GCC. They can be found in stores and theme parks, including Jarir bookstore, Magic Planet, and IMG World of Adventure.

He is currently designing an educational AR & VR dinosaur book for children, which he plans to publish in 2023. He is also finalising a new animal augmented reality application to be launched for a new range of animal puzzle toys to be released in late summer.

Essam continues building on his success from his home, Dubai. Now married and a father to a 10-year-old daughter, he continues to push the boundaries to create in this ever new frontier.