The Qatari fine arts movement continues to meet strong demand, with Qatar Museums working behind the scenes to entice international buyers to discover Qatar’s established and emerging artists.
Byline Asmahan Qarjouli
The Qatar Fine Arts Association opened the Elite Exhibition at Katara Village this week, showcasing 37 artworks by Qatari artists.
The exhibition displays a prolific variety of works in different mediums, including portraiture, sculptures and ceramics.
According to the Exhibition curator, the works reflect the local heritage as well as interactions between human beings and nature.
Commenting on the exhibition, which will run until 16 April, Qatar Fine Arts Association artist Yusuf Al Sada says the exhibition serves as a platform for artistic and cultural exchange.
“The exhibition shines a spotlight on the positive and bright image of the Qatari art movement, along with the experiences of pioneer artists and young people. It offers an opportunity for the public to get a taste of what informs our art,” says Al Sada.
Artists on display include Issa Al Mulla, whose work highlights the different schools of art with the use of a wide range of banknotes and coins as a new artistic method.
Artist Hussein Al Nasiri is also showcasing a painting inspired by his personal experience, reflecting “his escapades from plight to peace” as well as “his love for goodness, art and beauty, says Al Nasiri.
There is currently a boom in demand for Qatari art and Qatar Museums have been collaborating with multi-modal artists to raise the country’s arts profile abroad.
One such example is the Jedariart programme which enables artists to embellish Qatar’s streets through murals and street art.
Launched in 2020, the programme for public art is among the most prominent initiatives by Qatar Museums whose mission is to incorporate art in every corner of Doha.
A study in 2023 by the University of Lausanne in Switzerland found that Doha is among global cities emerging culturally through its arts and buildings. It found that Doha and Abu Dhabi are overtaking cities like New York as new cultural capitals.
Doha was named as the Arab Tourism Capital for 2023 whereas Qatar’s Lusail City was named as the ‘Capital of Islamic Culture’ in recognition of its position as a “historical cultural beacon”.
Qatar also celebrates other countries’ cultures annually under the Years of Culture initiative, launched in 2012 to encourage cultural interactions starting with Japan. Morocco is the current Years of Culture partner, offering a cultural exchange between the two regional countries.
