In a bold move that signals a new era for the intersection of hospitality and contemporary art, Radisson RED Dubai Silicon Oasis has named Spanish artist Tom Roy (Antonio Ramirez) as its first international artist-in-residence, selected in collaboration with World Art Dubai – the first time the hotel has partnered with the region’s largest art fair.
While Radisson RED Dubai has long supported local creatives through its in-house residency programme, this appointment marks the brand’s most ambitious artistic venture to date, reaching beyond national borders to commission an international talent whose story and style speak directly to the brand’s bold DNA.
Held in April of this year, World Art Dubai 2025 brought together over 400 artists and galleries representing more than 65 countries, with 10,000+ artworks exhibited and over 11,000 visitors attending the fair. The event culminated in the World Art Dubai Awards, where standout participants were recognised across various categories – including Artist in Residence. It was here that Radisson RED identified Tom Roy as a creative force who offered more than just visual flair. What they saw was an artist whose journey embodied resilience, reinvention, and radical authenticity.
“This year’s fair was full of breathtaking work, but our decision wasn’t based on the art alone,” explains Nina Petridis, General Manager at Radisson RED Dubai Silicon Oasis. “Tom’s story, spirit, and unapologetic honesty aligned with who we are. That kind of connection can’t be manufactured – it’s either there or it isn’t.”
Indeed, Roy is anything but conventional. A former engineer and marketing executive in the European automotive sector, his artistic journey began not in galleries, but in hospital corridors. At the height of his corporate career and personal life, Roy was diagnosed with lymphoma, a diagnosis that would shift the trajectory of his life entirely.
“Painting started as therapy. It was never supposed to be a career. But the more I painted, the more alive I felt,” Roy shares. “During one of my blood transfusions, I like to believe I received the blood of a generous artist. That’s how I explain this fire that never existed before.”
He eventually overcame imposter syndrome and began showcasing his work publicly. His early solo exhibitions were met with acclaim, not only for his distinctive figurative style but for the raw emotionality that underpinned each piece.
Roy’s aesthetic is instantly recognisable: bold, oversized hands and feet; vibrant palettes; twisted postures; and characters that straddle the line between surreal and deeply human. His canvases are layered with texture, emotion, and movement, an ode to overcoming adversity and confronting personal limitations with grit and grace.
“We see barriers where there are only opportunities,” he says. “My goal is to help people remember that everything can be overcome with a strong enough will.”
For Radisson RED, this message felt urgent, relevant, and deeply aligned with its values.
Roy’s commissioned work for the hotel, titled “Urban Pulse: Collective Energy,” is a visual embodiment of the brand’s mission to fuse art, fashion, and music in an urban, flexible, and emotionally charged space. The piece captures the hotel’s rhythm – one driven by technology, diversity, and global connectivity – and invites guests into a narrative that extends beyond the frame. It’s not just art for art’s sake. The work is meant to provoke reflection, interaction, and in true RED style to make a statement. The piece includes disruptive visual elements and angles that demand engagement, both on-site and online.
“It was important to me that the art lived within the space, not just on the wall. I wanted guests to feel like they were inside the story, not just looking at it,” Roy says.
On 23 July 2025, Tom Roy unveiled “Urban Pulse” to an intimate audience at Radisson RED Dubai Silicon Oasis, inviting guests, creative industry insiders, and art supporters to engage with the work and hear the story behind its creation firsthand. The evening felt less like an unveiling and more like a shared moment of perspective, purpose, and personal connection.
His arrival also signals a shift in Dubai’s growing creative economy, as the city continues to cement its role as a cultural capital in the Middle East, beyond luxury retail and design.
“Dubai still has a relatively young art market compared to the UK, Europe, or China,” Roy says. “But that’s also what makes it exciting. There’s space to build, educate, and connect with audiences in new ways. There’s an openness here you don’t find in older markets.”
Petridis agrees, highlighting the broader impact of platforms like World Art Dubai and RED’s own evolving creative footprint. “We’ve always supported local artists, but partnering with World Art Dubai has allowed us to think bigger and to help position Dubai as a launchpad for global talent.”
She points to government support and industry momentum as indicators of what’s next: “The UAE’s Creative Economy Strategy aims to double the sector’s contribution to GDP to 5% by the end of 2025. Art-related tourism is expected to hit $3.6 billion by 2030, and the import/export of artworks is projected to exceed $2.5 billion by 2026. This is not a side conversation anymore, it’s an economic and cultural imperative.”
For Roy, this residency is more than recognition. It’s a declaration of second chances, of stories that matter, and of art that dares to feel.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity not just to share my work, but to be part of a city and a brand that believes in the power of creative transformation. We all need more of that.
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