US embassy supports mural project in Doha

The US embassy in Qatar has facilitated the painting of a massive mural in Doha through a grant implemented by its Public Affairs Section to strengthen cultural ties between the two countries, a statement said yesterday.

This is part of the several grant programmes being successfully implemented during the Qatar-USA 2021 Year of Culture and in 2022 in celebration of the 50th anniversary of US-Qatar diplomatic relations. Qatar resident American environmentalist Jose Saucedo, a US embassy grantee for 2022 and leader of Doha Environmental Actions Project (Deap) Qatar since 2018, brought three international artists - Huda Basahal from Qatar, Serbian artist and expat Dimitrije Bugarski, and visiting Cambodian-American artist Jason Keam - together in Qatar to paint the mural, as part of Qatar Sustainability Week 2022.Keam, a multi-disciplinary painter and animator, has provided digital advertising for the most well-known studios in the world including Disney, Pixar and Marvel. This is the second mural he has painted in Qatar. The first is in Katara - Cultural Village and depicts an eagle and falcon together in flight and celebrates the 50th anniversary of US-Qatar relations. Basahal said: "The mural highlights the most important marine animals that Qatar is making efforts to preserve, while adding fun to the graphics using attractive colours and smooth movement between the elements.”Bugarski said: “It has been a great experience working with other artists on the same wall for the first time and expressing our love for the environment through art.”The US embassy and DEAP Qatar thanked Qatar Museums, Ashghal, and Qatar Rail for all their support facilitating the execution of the project. Deap has brought thousands of volunteers together, including hundreds of Americans living in Qatar, to collect tonnes of debris through regular beach and desert cleanups throughout the country.