The opening of ‘Threads of Memory’ by Haifa al-Khuzaie and ‘Between Rust and Art’ by Ahmed al-Hamar on September 24 mark the completion of Fire Station’s 2024 Al Ruwad Residency. This programme supports and fosters dialogue between Qatar-based established and emerging artists.
The Al Ruwad Residency, launched in 2021, strengthens Fire Station’s role as a hub for artistic exchange. By providing up to two years of time, space, and resources, it connects local artists with mentorship and ensures the institution remains a platform for creativity.
In Threads of Memory, al-Khuzaie’s artistic practice focuses on reinterpreting Qatari heritage through contemporary forms, examining how traditional motifs carry deep memory and identity.
In the featured works, al-Khuzaie presents new mixed media pieces, including handmade ceramics, drawing inspiration directly from patterns and ornamentation found in local fashion, jewellery, and textiles. During her residency, she explored the intricacies of embroidery, engraving, and decorative detail in women’s clothing, allowing their richness of colour and design to inform her compositions.
Al-Khuzaie’s practice translates traditional elements into sculptural forms that embody both continuity and transformation. By merging these traditional forms with contemporary aesthetics, al-Khuzaie creates a dialogue between past and present that honours cultural heritage while imagining its future possibilities.
Also opened on September 24 at Gallery 4, al-Hamar’s ‘Between Rust and Art’ exhibition shifts the focus to materiality, texture, and layering. Al-Hamar works with elements drawn from daily life, reinterpreting mediums such as natural dyes, organic matter, and found objects into minimal artistic compositions. His recurring fascination lies in transformation and process.
During his residency, al-Hamar focused on deep experimentation, often revisiting the same techniques and materials to uncover new outcomes. His exhibition explores cultural motifs by deliberately inducing rust on iron sheets, a natural process that is subsequently interrupted and reshaped by his intervention.