A collage of artworks of some of the artists who would be part of the exhibition.
By Anand Holla
To close the year with a bang, Qatar-based art community MAPS, or Middle-East Art and Silk Painters, is all set to present its third annual group exhibition featuring 23 Qatar-based artists.
Titled The Colours of Desert, the upcoming exhibition will open at 6pm on Thursday (tomorrow) at Gate 2, Amphitheater, Katara. The exhibition will then continue until December 19 in Gate 2 and Gate 3 of the Amphitheater, from 10am to 10pm. MAPS is an innovative social art community that uses the arts to empower people and improve communities, and serves as a common platform for Qatar’s talented artists to share and showcase their work.
The 23 artists whose works will be displayed at the exhibition are Rashmi Agarwal (India), Athba al-Thani (Qatar), Fouad al-Emadi (Kuwait), Abdul Rehman al-Dorani (Qatar), Moudhi al-Hajri (Qatar), Lyubov Jalladyan (Tajikistan), Sara Ahmed al-Emadi (Qatar), Nibras al-Rukabi (British-Iraqi), Huda Hawwa (Qatar), Adnan Siraj (Pakistan), Keramat Andalibi (Netherlands), Professor Bashar Ali Ibrahim (Iraq), Naseema Shukoor (India), Wafa Mohamed Ahmed Elsebaie (Egypt), Cristina Scicolone (Italy), Karen Alicia Sinclair (Trinidad & Tobago islands), Sana Hussan (Pakistan), Camilia Abu Hamda (England), Cosette Kanso (Lebanon), Elsy Tabet (Lebanon), Dina Mourad Hurn (England), Khaled Elmesawy (Egypt), and Shuruq Ali Hassan (Iraq).
Meanwhile, a MAPS Handmade Craft Fair will be held simultaneously in Gate 2 by MAPS members for 10 days, which is free for all. “On the occasion of Qatar National Day, there will also be a live art workshop on December 18 and 19,” said Rashmi Agarwal, who is also the President of MAPS.
MAPS is a chapter of Silk Painters International (SPIN), USA, for artists of various mediums and all sorts of creative minds. MAPS is known to support the careers of many learners, practitioners and other artists, and believes that communities become stronger when members come together.
The distinct styles of the 23 artists who would be exhibiting at the show, are as fascinating as their approach to the art and their choice of medium and treatment. The works of artist Lyubov Jalladyan, for instance, are marked by her illustrative style of painting. Set to unveil her new thematic collection, The Divine Veil, she explains, “Women in veil look modest and feminine. The veil is made of a fine fabric, and while painting the women, I have especially focussed on their eyes, which vary from deep black to hazel and light green. Eyes say it all: the portrait models make a visual contact with you and tell you the stories of their life. It is a personal invitation to their very souls.”
Artist Nibras al-Rukabi, who has specialised in art and design, has developed her own work and style only in the past five years. Her work is mainly influenced by her beliefs as a Muslim, and she uses the stories and verses in the Qur’an to inspire her.
The goals of MAPS are far-ranging; from promoting silk painting and other art in the form of fine art and recognised education, to encouraging creativity in individuals of all ages, from expanding the community’s access to a broad array of art experiences to serve as an art hub that promotes national and international local artists.
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