General Manager of Katara Prof. Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti and other guests and officials at the inauguration of the exhibition.
Doha: General Manager of the Cultural Village Foundation (Katara) Prof. Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti inaugurated the “Progress and Procession Museum” exhibition by artist Khawla Mohammed Abdulaziz Al Mannai.
The exhibition was attended by several representatives of diplomatic missions, a select group of artists, media professionals, and interested parties. The event took place in Building 18, Hall 2.
The exhibition, running until September 13, features around eighty diverse artworks that blend textiles with realist, abstract, and impressionist painting styles, alongside Arabic calligraphy that documents the artist’s career from her beginnings in 1990 through to 2025.
The collection reflects the various phases of her development, from study and learning to creativity and participation in local and international exhibitions.
Artist Khawla Al Mannai said that the exhibition highlights the richness of her artistic experience and the diversity of her styles and techniques.
Through her paintings, she presents various artistic schools that reveal the interweaving of memories and personal experiences. She also addresses cultural themes with a local flavour, offering visitors glimpses into aspects of the past. Additionally, she draws inspiration from other elements influenced by her exposure to various global cultures, underscoring the role of art in building bridges of communication between civilisations.
The artist has participated in numerous exhibitions both inside and outside Qatar, representing the country at international art forums. Among her most notable works is the painting of ‘a woman from the past’, which was exhibited in Morocco, UK, and France in collaboration with the former Ministry of Information and the Amiri Diwan.
She has received several painting awards from Qatar and the Gulf states. She was honoured in Kuwait in 2019 for her research on ‘Sadu’ weaving as well as by the Ruler of Sharjah in recognition of her efforts in collecting folk tales.
Several of her works have been acquired by prestigious museums and institutions, and two of her textile paintings are on display in a Swiss museum.
The artist studied art in Qatar and learned textile science at Helwan University in Egypt, before further developing her artistic style by studying abstract art at the University of the Arts in the UK.
