Portuguese artist Cristina Albaker’s exhibition attracts a large number of diplomats, expatriates.
Members of the diplomatic circles and others thronged the opening of an exhibition featuring the paintings of Portuguese artist Cristina Albaker’s at W Hotel on Monday evening.
A total of 10 of Albaker’s works are on display at the exhibition titled “Mystical Art, Awakening”. Ambassador of Portugal Antonio Tanger Correa was present on the occasion as the chief guest. The exhibition ends on October 23.
Cristina’s work at the hotel is dominated by landscape paintings showing different angles of nature ranging from sea, mountains, trees, to rivers and streams. The visitors were seen taking keen interest in the artwork and engaged in multiple discussions.
“I love to see people enjoying my work. It feels very nice. When I see people love my work, I love it too. It is elevating for me to see a good number of people coming to see my work,” said Cristina, while talking to Community.
She said, “My work is all about nature. I enjoy nature and feel strongly about natural objects. I started painting in Qatar as I have been living here for nine years with my husband who works here. I got my love for nature from my country, where there are beautiful landscapes.”
The artist adds, “I studied photography and had been very fond of photography. I had exhibitions of my photography work some 20 years ago in Portugal. However, later I started taking interest in other forms of the art, especially oil paintings. Whenever I went to Portugal during summer days, I would attend gatherings of great painters there. I learnt a lot from established painters. I also travel a lot with my husband and have seen many countries. Wherever I went, I enjoyed the natural beauty.”
Cristina said, “I started painting seriously in the last two years in Doha. I have ample free time and I would sit in my house and paint. It was the best place and atmosphere for me to paint.”
“The work that is on display here is one of my earliest. It is my first-ever painting exhibition. In the near future, I plan to hold my exhibitions in Portugal, Japan, and maybe in London too,” she noted.
Speaking about her experience in Qatar as an expatriate, Cristina said, “It was very difficult in the beginning because I had never been out of Portugal before. However with the passage of time, I started acclimatising with the country. The nicest thing about Qatar is that you get a chance to meet people from different countries and cultures every day. People with different experiences do teach you many things.”
Sana AlMukhtar, who works with the Embassy of Qatar in Portugal, said that she really enjoyed the work of the artist.
She said, “Cristina is my close friend. I know she paints. When I learnt that she was going to put her work on display in Qatar, I took a flight and came here only to watch and appreciate her work.”
AlMukhtar adds, “I believe Cristina had been able to paint and complete some of her works just because she is in a peaceful country like Qatar. She got time and peace of mind to paint here.”
Talking with Community, the ambassador said that it is good to have a Portuguese artist holding an exhibition in Doha. He said, “Art is a common language. It binds different cultures. Doha is the best place to find international audience for the art work.”
He said, “Art being a binding force cannot be overlooked. The artists are global speakers. Their language is understood by people from different cultures and backgrounds.”
“I really enjoyed Cristina’s work. It is pure nature, painted with brush. I see her becoming one of the best Portuguese artists in the coming years,” he said.
The ambassador added that they will celebrate Portugal’s national on October 17 in Doha with great festivity.
THE PAINTER: Cristina Albaker with one of her works.
