*Artworks explore symbolism of the desert palm tree

Qatar Museums (QM), in its continued mission to support aspiring and established artists, is to unveil Jawaher al-Mannai’s *The Desert Ode exhibition at the Fire Station: Artist in Residence on Wednesday (December 9).

Al-Mannai’s exhibition pays tribute to the palm tree and its symbolism.

While taking part in the Fire Station International Exchange Programme at the Cité Internationale des Arts from September to December 2019, she was overcome with nostalgia for Qatar and its desert landscape.

“We look forward to presenting Jawaher al-Mannai’s *The Desert Ode exhibition – a collection of artwork that pays homage to Qatar’s desert landscape and, in particular, the palm tree and all that it has come to symbolise,” Doha Fire Station senior exhibition and residence programme co-ordinator Saida al-Khulaifi said in a press statement.

Al-Mannai is a visual artist who experiments with different materials, mediums, and symbols to create abstract paintings.

*The Desert Ode runs until January 23, 2021 at the Doha Fire Station, Gallery 3.

Opening hours are from 9am-7pm, between Saturday and Thursday, and from 1:30pm to 7pm on Friday.

The QM has implemented protocols in accordance with recommendations from Qatar’s Health Protection and Communicable Disease Control Office of the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH).

In keeping with the guidelines set by the MoPH, a limited number of visitors and staff will be allowed in the Fire Station at any given time.

Upon arrival, visitors will be required to present a “green” health status on the Ehteraz contact tracing app.

Masks are required for all visitors (12 years of age and older).

Each person will also be checked for a normal temperature reading at the entrance.