14 artists to explore reshaping existing narratives

The Fire Station: Artist in Residence, in collaboration with the Painting and Printmaking Department at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar), are to present a virtual lecture series titled Decolonising Art Narratives: Arab Women Artists Today, in which 14 women artists will come together to explore gender, politics, colonialism, culture and identity.

The year-long academic lecture series will feature a group of female Arab artists and practitioners across various disciplines and locales in the Middle East, who will revisit and consider how best to reshape existing narratives.
“The Fire Station is honoured to partner with VCUarts Qatar to present this pertinent lecture series,” Fire Station director Khalifa al-Obaidly said. “The series provides a platform for some of the region’s most inspirational female artists to collectively discuss what it means to be an artist in the context of modern societal norms and challenges.”

The participating artists are:

* Bahia Shehab on February 17
* Lamia Joreige on February 24
* Nadia Ayari on March 17
* Sama Alshaibi on March 24
* Ala Younis on March 31
* Alia Ali on April 5
* Iman Issa on August 25
* Youmna Chlala on September 8
* Monira al-Qadiri on September 22
* Nadia Kaabi-Linke on October 6
* Ghada Khunji on October 13
* Abeer al-Kuwari on November 3
* Noor Abuissa on November 10, and
* Diana al-Hadid on November 17.

Female faculty members at VCUarts Qatar, Fire Station staff and other artists and curators will moderate the English-led lecture series.