Emerging Doha artists’ works on display

DOHA: An eclectic mix of contemporary artworks by emerging Doha-based artists are on show at the third annual Artist in Residence exhibition which opened yesterday at the Fire Station’s Garage Gallery.

Dubbed Dual Inspirations, the exhibition, which runs until October 1, marks the end of another highly successful season of the Artist in Residence Programme — an annual initiative that nurtures creative talent from across the country under the patronage of Qatar Museums (QM) Chairperson, H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.

This year’s edition is presented as a conversation between two artists sharing their perspectives on the same topic. The main narrative of the exhibition is based on the idea of “reflection and inspiration”, whereby two artists are matched in one section under a specific theme which describes their work. Themes include: Memory, Constructivism, Material, Contemplation, Abstractionism, City, Result, Self, Perception and Viewpoint.

“The exhibition explores the ideas that revolve around inspiration as a platform though which 18 artists experiment in relation to the creative process,” said the curator, Dr Bahaa Abudaya, who is also the curator of Contemporary Art at the Fire Station.

“Active discussion and interaction between artists and curator helped to raise issues pertinent to the identity of contemporary art production and the essence of a truly contemporary artwork,” added Abudaya.

Participating artists include Mubarak Nasser Al-Thani, May Saleh Al Mannai, Islam Shehab, Fatima Mohammed, Alexandra Jawe Oddie, Ahmad Nooh Ahmad, Paul Valentine, Yasser Abdulla Al Mulla, Ryan Browning, Fatma Al Naimi, Wajiha Pervez, Yousef Fawzi Bahzad, Diogo Esteves, Aisha Al Fadhala, Aisha Al Malki, Yassmin Al Khasawneh, Shouq Al Mana, and Rachel Leah Cohn.

Khalifa Al Obaidly, Director of the Fire Station, commented: “This exhibition is not only a testament to the world-class artistic talent that exists among Qatar’s creative community, but is also a proof of the impact that the programme has had in terms of nurturing our artists’ skills. I am proud to announce the conclusion of another exciting edition and look forward to being amazed by our artists’ future endeavours.”

The exhibition also features a section titled Contemporary Artists Reading Modernism Loudly which discusses the inspiring relationship between contemporary and modern art. Participating artists were tasked with visiting Mathaf and choosing an artwork that inspires and informs their own practice. The selected artworks are presented alongside their own to emphasise a dialogue that has taken place between two epochs and generations of artists. Some of the artists’ ideas were an extension and an answer to works by those pioneers, while others were chosen to question or provide a contrast to the works presented at Mathaf. Participating artists include Mubarak Nasser Al Thani, May Saleh Al Mannai, Fatima Mohammed, Yousef Fawzi Bahzad, Paul Valentine, Ryan Browning, and Diogo Esteves.

The Artist in Residency Programme provides participants with a chance to delve into the world of aestheticism and be exposed to influential mentors that can help them challenge and develop their artistic skills. The programme is a highlight of QM’s initiatives, all which aim to create a new generation of talents that can inspire audiences and drive forward Qatar’s cultural sector.