The Qatari identity and the expression of Qatari culture is the final outcome of works created by Qatari and Gulf artists, as an embodiment of their feelings towards the homeland.
The work of a group of artists, in cooperation with the Visual Arts Center of the Ministry of Culture, has resulted in an artistic mural, sculptures and paintings that are compatible with their themes with the National Day, which falls on the eighteenth of December of each year and is held this year under the slogan “Our Unity is the Source of Our Strength”.
The participating artists were keen to present works that contribute to the consolidation of the Qatari identity, through creations consisting of paintings, murals and sculptures, “an affirmation of pride in the national identity and at the same time presenting a part of the artistic and cultural achievement to the fans of Darb Al-Saai of citizens, residents and visitors to the country from the fans of the FIFA World Cup Qatar.” 2022.
Among the artists who are always keen to register their fingerprints in the activities of the National Day is the artist Fahd Al-Maadeed, who emphasized that the participation of Qatari artists stems from their duty towards their country every day and not only on the National Day. “Our unity is the source of our strength,” especially since the National Day this year coincides with the State of Qatar’s hosting of the World Cup, and this places a great responsibility on all Qatari artists to express the Qatari identity so that the World Cup audience will know the features of Qatari culture and identity, Al-Maadeed said. The Ministry of Culture painted a mural in Darb Al Saai at the permanent headquarters in Umm Salal Mohammad in its new look, so that the mural, which is divided into two directions, expresses our identity. He added, “I drew the Arabian horse from two schools, the first is the realistic school, and among them came the drawing of the horse, Marwan Al Shaqab, which is a purebred Arabian horse that achieved many awards in aesthetics. To the simple shapes mixed and express the things that are on horse bridles and are often made of shells and beads, with an open background of cold and warm colors, so that they do not cause distraction to the recipient. As for the second school in the mural, it is in the second corner and belongs to the impressionistic school of influence, where I wanted It provoked the feelings of the audience as it sees horses in different colors (blue or green, for example). Therefore, I found a great interaction of visitors with the works of this school more than the work that belongs to realism, so the mural merged between the two schools, to complete the mural with the nature of Qatar and its desert. From the Qatari environment, stressing that all that artists present is a sincere expression of our love for the homeland. Regarding his other projects, the artist Fahd Al-Maadeed said: I also participated in the World Cup with my fellow artists by drawing large murals that carry artistic, historical and sports meanings with the aim of reviving the heritage on the mural. Five mural works were executed, each ranging from 20 to 40 meters in the Barwa residences in Al Wakrah for the World Cup guests, and Lusail murals, all of which contain scenes expressing the World Cup and the atmosphere and icons of the World Cup.
For her part, the Qatari artist, Saadia Abdul Samad Basadig, said that this is the first participation in Darb Al Saai, as it is considered a distinguished experience through which we highlight our love for our country, and therefore every artist tries to present a specific aspect of the heritage and culture in Qatar, noting that she presents two works in Darb Al Saai, the first is entitled Arabian horses, which I drew In oil, along with another painting entitled “Tawash and Pearls”. The two paintings present aspects of Qatar’s land and sea heritage as an expression of the Qatari environment and its most important characteristic, stressing that artworks that express Qatari culture are an opportunity to introduce our culture, especially to foreign audiences.
The Saudi sculptor Nasser Hawsawi expressed his happiness to participate in the activities of the Qatari National Day, which is a national forum for the State of Qatar and at the same time it is considered a global forum this year, especially for Qatar hosting the World Cup, and therefore I was present in various forums and events in Qatar to express my feelings towards the sister country of Qatar. On this occasion, I completed a work called (Prince of Cups), which is a sculptural work that forms a model of the World Cup surrounded by the distinctive Qatari ghutra. In the model, the maroon color appears as a symbol of the Qatari flag, in which there is a merger between the Qatari identity and the World Cup, indicating that the work received great interaction, both on social media Or in Darb Al-Saai, and that he used raw gypsum mixed with cement to give rigidity, and he chose white and yellow colors gilded with gold leaf to embody the World Cup, along with another sculptural work for the wise leadership of the State of Qatar.