Marjolijn Stolk, the chair of International Artists of Doha group.
By Salman Siddiqui/Staff Reporter
Almost all the artworks that were put up for auction at the third annual International Artists of Doha (IAD) exhibition were sold out, Marjolijn Stolk, the chair of the Doha-based art group, said.
The exhibition concluded yesterday at the Qatar Foundation’s Recreation Centre in Education City.
A large number of people attended the four-day exhibition, including about 200 on opening night on May 1. Children from different international schools and hundreds of others visited the show.
Dutch Ambassador John Groffen, Ambassador of Portugal Fernando Aranjo and Ambassador of Croatia Tomislav Bosnjak were among the many envoys who visited the exhibition, Stolk said.
Stolk is a Dutch contemporary artist, who has been living in Doha for the last three and a half years.
In an interview, she told Gulf Times that she came to this part of the world when her husband, who works for an oil and gas company, moved to Qatar.
Although as an artist she knew she could work anywhere in the world, she discovered that there were some challenges for international artists.
“[In the beginning] it was very difficult for international artists to exhibit here. [So because of this], together with a colleague of mine, I started an art group here called the International Artists of Doha. It was difficult for international artists to exhibit here because some venues were only for Arabs,” she explained.
Initially, there were only 10 artists in her group IAD, but today there are 22 from 13 countries.
About the kind of art people in this region appreciate and how it’s challenging for foreign artists like herself, she said: “Arabs do have a different view of what kind of art they like. They are very interested in Arab art…I think Arabs and especially in Qatar, where they have a lot of money, the people here want to buy very expensive art from very well known artists.”
About the sources of inspiration for her artwork in Qatar, she said: “When you come from Europe or any other part of the world and live here, you see a lot of things that are very different from your own country.
“At first, I didn’t see only shopping malls and artificial things, I saw a lot of Arab influences. When I drive around in my car, I see so many things around me that can be very inspiring. Even the forms of buildings, windows or doors are interesting. I’m actually quite influenced by these Arab forms. I’ve become more interested in the heritage of Qatar.”
Stolk has lived in The Netherlands, Switzerland and the United States before landing in Qatar in 2009. Since living here, she has blended abstract and figurative style elements portraying the wealth and diversity of Arabian heritage using acrylic paint in combination with mixed media and collage.
“I’ve always done art because I really like making art. It’s not something I want to commercialise. I paint what I feel. If people like it, it’s great. What I am painting is more or less the story of myself, my journey through life,” she said.
BELOW: Schoolchildren attending the exhibition.