Meet the Omani artist behind Ahmed al Harthy’s award winning helmet

After more than a decade spent building her artistic career, Omani manga artist Zainab al Lawati received the phone call she had long hoped for: her helmet design had been selected for champion racer Ahmed al Harthy to wear during his international endurance races.
The news arrived early on a Sunday morning and quickly turned into a family celebration. Years of persistence, self-doubt and long nights spent drawing suddenly felt worthwhile. For Zainab, the moment marked the realisation of a dream she had carried for 13 years.

Winning the helmet design competition, organised by the Oman Pavilion and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, became more than a personal achievement. It confirmed that the years she dedicated to manga and visual storytelling had shaped a creative voice capable of reaching an international audience. More importantly, it reminded her that this milestone was only the beginning.
Zainab was inspired by three elements: water, land and people — a triad of connection she believed closely reflected the relationship between Oman and Japan. She wanted the design to narrate a story that whoever saw it could feel as much as see.

She gave each element and colour a soul. Red, the dominant colour, served as a bridge between cultures, symbolising strength and determination while representing the shared spirit of both nations. White, meanwhile, offered purity and expansiveness, reflecting land, sky, resilience and the generosity deeply embedded in both societies.
Looking closely, viewers realise that nothing in the design is random. The helmet tells a richer story through famous landmarks from both cultures. On the Omani side are Jabal Shams, Muttrah Fort and the iconic Al Riyam censer. On the Japanese side are Mount Fuji, Osaka Castle,and a traditional torii gate. Together, they document history.

The helmet is also layered with symbolism. Earth, represented as motherhood, was depicted through Omani and Japanese women, while the future and leadership appeared through the presence of men.
At the top of the helmet, the national emblem was adorned with Omani frankincense flowers and Japanese sakura cherry blossoms, binding the design with elegance and meaning.
Water stands as the anchor of the entire composition, flowing across the helmet to form a visual bridge between the two cultures, like a steady handshake. It carries heritage, history and people. “I wanted to carry both nations in harmony”, she explained. “Their people, their heritage, their land — all connected by the water between them”.

As many artists do, Zainab usually slows down and layers her creative process. Her sketches become refined drawings, which turn into inked lines and eventually evolve into deeply detailed, multi-toned compositions.
But this project demanded something different. As she learned about the competition late, she had only a few hours to conceive and submit her idea, requiring both speed and instinct.
Traditional measuring alone consumed the first three hours, as she constructed the helmet’s foundational shapes by hand. The entire creation took 11 hours in one sitting, from dusk until early morning. There were no second drafts and no room for perfectionism — only trust. It was an intense sprint of determination and clarity.

The first time she saw her design come alive was at the Oman Pavilion during Expo 2025 Osaka in Japan. Standing there as her work was revealed to an international audience felt surreal. Another unforgettable moment came when she watched Ahmed al Harthy race at Fuji Speedway wearing her design.
When she later met Ahmed in person, his reaction humbled her. He revealed that her design had stood out to him from the moment it appeared during the judging process. Those words from the champion himself became a moment she says she will carry forever.