VIGNETTES: A bedouin herdsman by IAD member Mahesh Kumar for Spring Exhibition 2015. Right: Twilight in Doha by Willemina Mansell for the upcoming exhibition.

By Umer Nangiana


Twenty-one Doha-based artists hailing from diverse backgrounds and 11 different countries will be exhibiting their work under the aegis of the International Artists of Doha (IAD) for the fifth time in their upcoming Spring Exhibition 2015.
The exhibition is hosted by Qatar Foundation Community Services who continue to generously support the group.
“Getting everyone together in any one place at the same time is difficult, however, the group regularly meets to share ideas and learn off one another. Although membership of the group is limited, it changes over time with people leaving Doha to follow new paths and people arriving and changing the group dynamics,” says the organisers.
“This year will see even more changes in Doha, more changes in IAD and more art in the city itself. It is an interesting time to be in Qatar and this is reflected by the people that live, work and create here,” they add.
The upcoming exhibition by IAD will feature all-new work from its existing members besides the new members showcasing their talent.
Ahmad Allawy, Annette Wendling-Willeke, Ben Barbour, Charlene Kasdorf, Dorte Meichsner, Dominika Bozic, Elham Razani, Hannelore Seckel, Jacinthe Lecomte, Jameela al-Shraim, Leila B Chaieb Elhaj, Mahesh Kumar, Nigel Muter, Sabah Arbilli, Salim Abdulla, Shahida Ahmed, Shihar Hamza, Urvashi Gaekwad Chauhan, Verity Watkins, Yousef Ellis, and Willemina Mansell will be exhibiting their recent works.
The member artists of IAD come from countries as diverse as Croatia, Tunisia, Iraq, Germany, Canada, India, Iran, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, USA and Qatar. The exhibition will be a unique demonstration of a wide range of styles from realism to abstract.
International Artists Doha (IAD) was formed in early 2011 by two Dutch artists, Winnifred Bastian and Marjolijn Stolk, as a non-profit organisation for international artists living and working in Doha. Membership is diverse, with people coming from a variety of different nations and cultures and with a varying range of interests. The members of the group are professional artists of different nationalities who bring a unique artistic talent to the group.
“The aim of the group is to foster opportunities via sharing experiences, learning from one another, combining resources, collaborating with other local art initiatives and showcasing the members’ art to the local public, by means of exhibitions and publications,” says IAD.
The upcoming Spring exhibition is scheduled to be held at the AaQool Atrium, 2nd floor, Qatar Foundation Recreation Centre in Education City. Doors open to the public on March 7, Saturday, at 6.30pm. The exhibition will remain open to the public until March 26 from 8am to 8pm every day.
The IAD held its first ever annual group exhibition in 2011 at the Qipco Compound club house with 10 artists. The group went online in 2011 registering its presence on social media, Facebook. In March 2012, it held its 2nd annual Group Exhibition at AaQool Atrium, Qatar Foundation Recreation Centre, again with 10 artists, sponsored by QF Community Services and Derwent art supplies. The show was officially opened by John Groffen, Ambassador of The Netherlands.
Since September 2013, IAD organises regular ARTogether evenings for all members to meet and create art together at Katara Art Studios. Its last group exhibition was held in May last year titled ‘Rooh Al Hayat – The Essence of Life’, at AaQool Atrium, Qatar Foundation Recreation Centre, with 22 artists, sponsored by QF Community Services.
Besides the founders, the group has been headed by Annette Wendling-Willeke, Chairperson from January 2014 followed by Nigel Muter who is the current Chairperson since October 2014. The current committee members include Marjolijn Stolk (Founder Member), Nigel Muter (Chair), Urvashi Gaekwad Chauhan (Communications), Doerte Meichsner (ARTogether Co-ordinator), Dominika Bozic (Social Media Co-ordinator) and Annette Wendling-Willeke (Treasurer).


Related Story