Traditions
The codes of Muslim representation can be found in all areas of design. One of the most important rules is the absence of figurative motifs. The human figure is replaced by ornamental, geometric and vegetal motifs. Writing is here erected as an art. The tradition of calligraphy continues to be transmitted today. It is the same word that designates writing and calligraphy or the art of the beautiful letter. The letter, whose mastery requires talent and skill, allows to recall the verses of the Koran on all possible supports.
The book, bringing together several skills, is thus a collaborative work realized in workshops. Illuminators, miniaturists and calligraphers combine their talents. The illuminator illustrates manuscripts by painting motifs with gouache, preferably in gold and silver tones. For literary and scientific works, however, animals and characters are allowed. The first illustrated books were scientific works.
The miniaturist, also a painter, reproduced a two-dimensional world without referring to reality.Modern turnaround
These traditions remain alive in Qatar. But at the same time, from the 1950's onwards, an aesthetic trend proposed to integrate the traditions with modern trends. This trend took different forms in the Arab world, including calligraffiti, abstract calligraphy and geometric calligraphy.
One of the pioneers of the Hurufiyya movement, which combines tradition and modernity, the Iraqi artist Dia al-Azzawi, was born in Baghdad in 1939. In Doha, he drew inspiration from the collection of the Museum of Islamic Art to create an astonishing merry-go-round at the entrance. The animal seats in his installation Enchanted East
recall the bestiary of Arab culture. The two great Qatari representatives of the Hurufiyya movement are Yousef Ahmad and Ali Hassan Jaber.The painter and collector Yousef Ahmad (born in 1955) represents his country in most of the international biennials and cultural events. In his youth, he benefited from one of the first exchange programs offered by Qatar, which allowed him to study in California. His work, inspired by realism, documents the habits and customs of his country by reinterpreting calligraphy and Arab textile art. He became a professor at Qatar University and advised the collector Sheikh Hassan in his acquisitions for the Mataf Museum
, or Arab Museum of Modern Art. This institution has mainly paintings from the Maghreb, Lebanon or Iraq, as well as some artists from the Gulf. Nowadays, the old fire station has been transformed into an artistic residence and exhibition space. In addition, the Orientalist Museum, which is a collection more than a museum, contains hundreds of treasures.Public art as a standard
Katara Village, the "valley of cultures", encourages local creativity. Traditional symbols and provocative creations coexist in the open air. Among the most spectacular, the sculpture of the three monkeys of Gandhi
, realized by the Indian artist Subodh Gupta, stands on the seafront promenade. Everywhere, big international names contribute to the artistic abundance.As early as Hamad International Airport, Urs Fischer's Lamp Bear is a giant teddy bear. Inspired by travel, the Cosmos installation by French artist Jean-Michel Othoniel makes you dizzy. In the arrival hall, Tom Claasen's 8 oryx herd wanders through the gallery. At the exit, Desert Horse
by Qatari Ali Hassan Al-Jaber reminds us of the importance of the horse in the daily life of the Bedouin.In the city of Doha, the Jedariart program has brought together several muralists of various genres. Traditional calligraphy is joined by abstract, figurative and surrealist art to evoke national specificities. To be seen in Al-Abraj Park, Post Office Park, 5/6 Park or at the Doha Festival City interchange.
To the north of the city, the famous East-West/West-East installation by the American artist Richard Serra stretches out in the middle of the desert for a kilometer. Four huge steel plates erected away from civilization invite reflection. By the same artist, back in town to admire the dizzying 7 sculpture in the park of the Museum of Islamic Art
in Doha, a museum that brings together art from the seventh century to the nineteenth century. Richard Serra reminds us of the value of the number 7 in Islamic culture: the 7 heavens, the 7 gates of paradise, the 7 hells... Even more audacious, the gigantic spider Maman by Louise Bourgeois plants its legs in the Qatar National Convention center (Qatar National Library metro station). Not far away, in front of the Sidra research center, Damien Hirst's 14 bronze fetuses tell the story of The Miraculous Journey, the development of a small human in the womb. The famous Iraqi sculptor Ahmed El Bahrani, exiled in Doha, designed the hands stretched towards the sky; The Challenge 2015 is located at the Lusail metro station.Current trend
Political crisis inspires Qatari artists. Anniversary dates of the siege are celebrated under the sign of resilience. In 2018,Al Markhiya Gallery invited Qatari artist Fatma Alshebani to exhibit her installation The Mother, a nod to the motherland. Blue chips flock from the West to exhibit in Doha. Neo-Pop Jeff Koons was welcomed by the Qatar Museums Gallery - Al Riwaq. New York graffiti icon Kaws showed his giant toys in the Fire Station
courtyard and at Doha airport.The recent Qatar National Museum
, designed by Jean Nouvel, is the culmination of the current dynamism and unfolds like a masterful rose of sand. The main theme is the essence and history of the country. Not surprisingly, a monumental installation echoes the place. The 114 fountain-sculptures of Jean-Michel Othoniel call out to the eye at the edge of the cornice. Their silhouettes dance with their feet in the water like allusions to calligraphy. From now on, Qatari artists seduce Western collectors. The young Ahmed Al Maadheed sets the tone, making a career in Qatar while responding to a multitude of commissions in Europe. Follow the movement!
