Qatari artist Abdulla Al Kuwari (right) at the opening of “Imaginary Motifs” exhibition yesterday at Fire Station. Pic: Abdul Basit / The Peninsula
Doha: Sixteen imaginative works by Qatari artist Abdulla Al Kuwari adorn the walls of Fire Station: Artist in Residence Workshop No. 3 at “Imaginary Motifs” exhibition which opened last night, marking the culmination of his successful residency at the prestigious Citéinternationale des Arts in Paris.
Al Kuwari was the third Qatari artist to complete the three-month Paris Residency programme which is an extension of Qatar Museums’(QM) Fire Station: Artist in Residence programme in Doha and which he said helped him in a big way to progress artistically.
After finishing BFA in Painting and Printmaking in 2014 from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Arts in Qatar with Highest Honors, he started participating in exhibitions in Qatar and abroad, but his Paris stint had enabled him to take his art to the next level.
Speaking to the art community before opening his exhibition, he stressed that the residency had widened his horizon artistically exploring the various museums in Paris and interacting with artists from various fields at the Citéinternationale des Arts where Qatar owns a studio.
“Qatar’s studio is much bigger than my studio here, so I was able to utilize the space that suits my need. Visiting many museums, I realized there were many motifs and combinations that I had yet to explore,” he said.
Open to the public until April 3, “Imaginary Motifs” reveals Al Kuwari’s wealth of imagination and artistic approaches inviting the viewers to engage in multifaceted interpretations of the work.
“The exhibition showcases my experimentations through the use of certain motifs that have been frequent in my work in the past few years. Visually, these motifs tend to be dynamic, curvilinear and colourful. I have been trying to merge them with abstract, semi-abstract and representational approaches and how to link them together,” he explained.
Asked on what’s next for him, he said he wanted to explore the passage of time as a crucial element in his art citing sequential art as one possible direction he would want to explore.
Khalifa Al Obaidly, Director of the Fire Station, said: “Abdulla’s work continues to evolve and delight audiences with its unique aesthetic and I’m very excited the people of Doha have a chance to see for themselves the latest product of Abdulla’s time in Paris. The residency programme with the Citéinternationale des Arts in Paris is a prestigious opportunity for talented local individuals to stretch their limits and collaborate with like-minded individuals from around the world and Abulla has fully taken on that challenge and opportunity by producing the exemplary creations we see at the Fire Station now.”
The Qatari Art Residency Programme is a recurring three-month residency open to all Qatari artists, and provides one talented individual with studio accommodation space and the chance to be fully immersed in Paris’ art and culture scene.
