Qatari artists capture history and diversity of India through artworks
The group visited three major destinations in northern India -- Delhi, Agra and Jaipur
QATARI artists shared the rich colours, history and traditions of India through their paintings, sketches, photographs, drawings and installation at the Ekhtasif Exhibition, which opened at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) on Wednesday.
The artworks unveiled before art enthusiasts and members of the community are inspired by the experiences of the local artists during the ten-day educational artistic trip to three cities in India last year.
The trip was coordinated by MIA and made possible with the generous support of the Sea Shore Group. The programme was part of the celebration of Qatar-India 2019 Year of Culture.
The group visited three major destinations in northern India: Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. The trip took the group to famous mosques, palaces and historical landmarks in India where they learnt about India’s history, its cultural traditions and the various crafts.
An installation recreating an ancient Indian ‘pachisi’ board game decorated with Qatari designs by Qatari artist Abeer al Kuwari served as the conversation piece of the exhibition.
Speaking to the local media, Abeer said the installation was inspired by her fascination for the board game which she witnessed during their visit to one of the palaces in Agra.
She said, “I do photography, sculpture, drawing, paintings and other media which I try to explore using different materials. I was impressed by the board game I saw in one of the palaces in Agra. It was like a fairy tale and I wanted to recreate the same impression here in Qatar with local designs and so I incorporated the designs of local fish, oryx, desert mice and local bird. I also incorporated some arches of the Qatari architecture.”
Abeer, who is the first female member of the Qatar Photography Society, also captured her memories of India through her camera lens and showcased in the exhibition more than 10 photographs.
Another artist Haifa al Khuzai, who holds a Diploma in Fine Arts and a Bachelor of
Arts from Qatar University, expressed the strong cultural connection between Qatar and India using motifs and colours in her drawings.
Shaikha al Kuwari, who is fond of drawing faces and blending arts belonging to different cultures impressed the visitors with her sketches of palaces and the locals.
Other featured art pieces at the exhibition were the sketches and drawings of palaces by Maryam al Sada and sketches by Jameela al Ansari. The group also included Eman al Saad and Maryam al Majed.