‘Qatar: Close to My Soul ’ from the collection of Abdulla bin Ali al-Thani exhibition presents works from the late 1960s onward providing a broad overview of Qatari art, artists, movements and ideas that have shaped modern and contemporary art from the country.
Curated by Fatima Mostafawi, the Middle East and West Asia curator at Mathaf, the exhibition open until August 9 is a testament to the diversity and development of Qatar’s visual culture and a poetic journey into the past and present of the nation.
The modern and contemporary art in Qatar emerged as a visual extension of the political, economic and sociocultural context of the country in the second half of the twentieth century. Featuring a significant number of artists and artworks, the exhibition reveals the distinct thematic approaches that have emerged and converged over different generations.
The exhibition highlights how with the establishment of a formal education system in Qatar in 1952, the first artistic initiatives flourished. It notes that the art classes in schools played a major role in nurturing the artists who would become the pioneering generation, and from the early 1960s onward, exhibitions were continuously held in schools and public spaces, exposing art to a wider audience.
These early efforts culminated in the return of the pioneers after pursuing academic art studies in neighbouring Arab countries. Since then, the Qatari art scene has grown rapidly, actively engaging with local cultural vocabularies and regional artistic dialogues.
The exhibition is divided into three thematic sections. The first, O’mri Qatar, explores how artists draw inspiration from traditional architectural and natural landscape. The second, Dewdrops, features works portraying society, and the third, Boundless Expanse, presents various experiments in abstraction and hurruffiya, an art form incorporating Arabic letterforms. Through the exhibited works, texts and archival material, visitors will gain a deeper insight into the history of modern and contemporary art in Qatar.
The title and narrative of the exhibition are inspired by a well-known poem and song, entitled Allah Ya O’mri Qatar, written by Abdullah al-Hammadi in 1975 and performed by Mohammed al-Saai in the following years. The poem is widely regarded as a profoundly emotional expression of the poet’s love for his homeland.
Since the late 1970s, the poem’s simple yet demonstrative language has garnered widespread popularity, evoking nostalgic sentiments across all generations in Qatar. This poem intertwines with Sheikh Abdulla bin Ali al-Thani’s collecting practices, reflecting his discerning appreciation and passion for art. It serves as a clear means of expressing his profound love for his homeland and his unwavering commitment to preserving Qatar’s artistic legacy.
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