QAIC show focuses women’s artistic ambitions amid pandemic
On September 30, the Qatar America Institute for Culture (QAIC) celebrated the opening of its ‘Women of the Pandemic’ exhibition hosted at its headquarters in Washington, DC.
Launched in partnership with Katara - the Cultural Village Foundation in Qatar, the exhibition features the art of four American female artists and four Qatari female artists whose works are a reflection of their resilience and artistic ambitions during a time of major adversity, which tested the creative communities worldwide.
With public gatherings slowly resuming, the reception at QAIC provided the opportunity to formally recognise the impact of these works, the artists behind them and the supporters who made it possible, such as ConocoPhillips and the embassy of Qatar in Washington, DC. The guests in attendance represented DC’s diverse landscape, including leaders from esteemed museums, art galleries and cultural institutions.
The attending guests had the opportunity to view the curated works on display after several months of ‘Women of the Pandemic’ being solely a virtual viewing experience. To commemorate the official opening of the exhibition, official remarks were provided by Fatima al-Dosari, executive director at QAIC, and Peggy Loar, chair of the Board of Directors at QAIC.
“So many of the women I’ve known in life have had to be resourceful in ordinary times, but in a pandemic, new waves of creativity must come into play that challenge even the hardiest of women, even those who are used to a bit of chaos,” said Loar during her remarks. “Creativity seems to be in the very DNA of women who have both responsibilities and difficult life circumstances... creativity is often the spark that enables them to climb mountains.”
Following the remarks, several of the featured artists physically and virtually in attendance shared some brief commentary in reflection of the time elapsed since the last hosted discussion with the artists back in June of this year. Moderated by Sandra Wilkins, a member of QAIC’s Board of Directors and former chair of Fashion Design at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar, the participating artists shared their perspectives on creativity in a post-quarantine world and their hopes for the future.
Regarding the works featured in the exhibition, Qatari painter Haifa al-Khuzai mentioned that her featured works in the exhibition “express the role of women as leaders, as a friend, as inspiration; women who are connected to their heritage and traditions”. Some of the other artists directly took inspiration from the pandemic itself, like Qatari painter Abeer al-Kuwari, who said her “paintings talk about joy and happy occasions during the coronavirus, showing the human connections and participation of family members during the pandemic”.
For American artist Jordann Wine, creating her series of intricate mandalas “started as a meditative practice and grounding experience for [her]…it was [her] moments of joy in an uncertain time”.
When asked about how the pandemic has shifted their creative approach as an artist, American artist Anna U Davis stated that lockdown “pushed [her] to look further and also be less wasteful.” As for American artist Alexandra N Sherman, she remarked: “[the pandemic] allowed me to take a risk in my work…it allowed me a little bit of freedom because, what did I have to lose.”
The ‘Women of the Pandemic’ exhibition marks another addition to the series of exhibitions that further QAIC’s mission of connecting creatives, convening communities and celebrating cultures. The exhibition will remain open to the public for the next three months before relocating to Doha for its debut in Qatar in 2022. For more information about the exhibition, the participating artists and how to schedule a visit, one can visit www.qataramerica.org/ exhibitions/women-of-thepandemic/.