Katara General Manager Prof Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti (second right) at the unveiling of the murals of works by prominent Qatari artist Dr. Wafa Al Hamad at Katara Building 36, yesterday.
In memory of the late prominent Qatari artist Dr. Wafa Al Hamad, two murals of her 1991 painting “A Dream on the Seabed” were unveiled yesterday at the Cultural Village Foundation (Katara). Katara General Manager Prof. Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti unveiled the murals which adorn the exterior walls of Building 36. Murals of prominent works of art by pioneering Qatari artists who have had a great impact on the Qatari art scene deserve to stand for their creativity and introduce the emerging generations to them, said Dr. Al Sulaiti. He said the launch of the two murals located at the southern expansion of Katara continues the series of inaugurations of murals which Katara had started in the past.
He added that Katara continues to support creativity and art with innovative methods aimed at bringing art closer to its visitors and urging them to get acquainted with the structures of Qatari visual art through a number of murals on the facades of its buildings and projects. He pointed out that the murals on a number of facades of Katara buildings highlight the diversity of art schools, and show the richness of Qatari art scene. Dr. Wafa Al Hamad led an outstanding artistic career throughout her life which made her one of the pioneers contemporary Qatari art scene.
The late artist was considered the first Qatar University professor to work in the Department of Art Education. Her work was characterized by originality and its connection to the Qatari identity within what is known as geometric abstraction, which made her establish her own artistic experience. She is considered one of the most famous contemporary artists in Qatar throughout her life with her vision of the ancient world combined with the use of a d v a n c e d m o d e r n technologies. After the artist discovered her talent at a young age, she completed a series of art courses in free studio, pastel and oil colours from 1981 AD to 1985, and obtained a bachelor’s degree in Art Education from Qatar University in 1986, after which she obtained a master’s degree in Studio Art (Oil painting) in Eastern Michigan in the US in 1991.
She did not stop there. She took up and obtained a PhD from Northern Texas University in the US in 1998. Among her most prominent exhibition participation are the exhibition of Arab artists in Rome and the exhibition of Qatari women artists. She also participated in the Visual Arts Forum in 2005, the Qatari Artists Exhibition — Doha 2005, and the Asian Artists Exhibition of the Asian Games — Doha 2006. She returned to her mother university, Qatar University in 2000, where she joined the university as an associate professor at the College of Art Education. She passed away in February 2012, leaving behind a legacy of fine and original art.
