By Umer Nangiana

From traditional to contemporary, she has masterfully captured every aspect of life and culture of Gulf region, particularly that of Qatar, in her artwork. Elaborating the features that inspired her the most, she has captured on canvas everything that is beautiful about desert, the sea and all that lies between the two.
 The Taiwanese-Canadian artist Anny Ku has put on display a collection of her paintings called “Inspirations from the Gulf” at her first solo exhibition that recently opened at Katara Art Centre (KAC) building 5 of Katara Cultural Complex.
 A mix of small and big size canvases showcase the rich cultural heritage of Qatar and other areas of the Gulf region, depicting the life in desert, the traditional way of life of the people, the distinct architecture of the region besides the more contemporary side with material development at its centre.
 The colour in her paintings, it seems, has been borrowed directly from different shades of the desert and the sea, and their collective reflection in the life in and round them.
 “These paintings are inspired from daily life here because as I see people in the Souq or outside working or people riding camels, it gives me a glimpse into their culture and I think it is very important to keep the culture and the heritage alive,” said Ku at the opening reception of the exhibition, attended by a large number of people.
 “I feel I am very lucky to have the chance to live in Doha, Qatar and have a chance to develop my passion for my art and to show people my artwork,” she added.
 Ku said she started painting many years ago and has thoroughly enjoyed the process of creativity. She has been living in Qatar, which she considered her second home, for more than 12 years and the beauty of this region in general has inspired most of her work.
 “I like it here and I enjoy the beauty of the region. Getting inspiration from different things, I have been painting from time to time and slowly it has grown into a collection,” said the artist.
 She works at a school affiliated with Qatar Foundation. Lately, she has been working with the Qatar Academy in its art department. Her job is however ending by the end of June this year and she plans to continue painting while searching for new work.
 Having a diploma in art, Ku said she likes certain places in Qatar more than others, such as Katara, the Museum of Islamic Art, and the Corniche, which she frequently visits besides going out to the desert from time to time.
 “I get my inspiration from these places. The art and architecture here shows the rich culture of the Gulf region and I love it,” said Ku, pointing to a small painting showing two Qatari men in conversation with an old building in the background.
 This, she said, was her personal favourite painting which shows a scene from Souq Waqif.
 “I personally took the photograph and I painted it with patience because it involved so much detail. I have also put a texture on the wall to show the culture and the architecture of Qatar preserved in the old houses. It expresses the beauty of the old architecture,” she said.
 She has mostly used acrylic on canvas with some work done in pencil sketches. The acrylic, she said, gave her the freedom to create water impressions of both water colour and also oil colour textures depending on the mix of media she needed to create.
 The paintings put up in the exhibition are specifically about Qatar and the Gulf region, however, she has also painted other pieces that she has not showcased yet.
 Ku believes that the art scene is Qatar is developing very fast. A lot of artists are showing their art, she says, and there is always something to see in Qatar at this time. “I think it is going very well and it seems the people have [acquired a taste for art].I really enjoy this and I am looking forward to seeing more,” she said.
 The exhibition is open to public till June 10 at KAC.