Artist Hoda Al-Yafei, Director of Visual Arts Center of the Ministry of Culture, revealed the details of the launch of International Women’s Day event, which is scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, in the Center’s building in Katara as well as the courtyard opposite the Center. Al Yafei explained that this event is a consolidation of the vision of the Ministry of Culture, which aims to provide its services to all segments of society. She pointed out that the event celebrates the important role women play in society, and highlights the production of creative women, emphasizing that this creativity has been constantly maintained throughout the succession of generations.
The Director of Visual Arts Center explained that the celebration, expected to be held tomorrow at 5 p.m., will include several activities within one art program, one of which is holding an art forum for free drawing in the external square opposite the Center, with the participation of seven women plastic artists who will showcase their creative works in front of the audience by presenting different topics, as part of the celebration. Various art schools will be presented, where each artist will perform her work according to her distinctive artistic style. Al-Yafei added that the event also includes the participation of three photography artists, in cooperation with Akkas Center of the Ministry of Culture, in addition to the participation of the Al-Wakra Center for Girls. She pointed out that after the forum, a discussion session will be organized hosting the artists. She noted that this session will begin with a welcome speech, followed by honoring the participating artists, and expressing appreciation to the pioneering artist, Wafiqa Sultan, for her valuable contribution to the Qatari plastic art arena; she will be honored for the entire achievements in her artistic career.
The artist, Huda Al Yafei, confirmed that Visual Arts Center will continue its efforts in the coming period to enhance its position, striving to establish the values of creativity and artistic and aesthetic taste among young people through participating in the various art activities that the Center holds throughout the year. The Director of Visual Arts Center said that this year’s agenda, which will be announced soon, includes many training workshops and educational courses in various fields of arts such as drawing, sculpture, printing and graphics among others. She announced that starting from 14 March, over the course of ten days, a workshop on sculpture technology will be organized in the Center Building in Aziziyah titled “Gypsum molds … Sculpture technology”, led by the artist Nihad Al-Azzawi, in order to introduce the trainees aged 17 years and over to the history and techniques of sculpture and to guide them to sculpting tools, in addition to teaching them relief and round sculpture. She explained that the workshop is scheduled for Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays every week from 14 to 23 March. She said: “Through the Center’s strategy for 2022, we seek to discover artistic talents among young people, develop and support their artistic skills, as well as preserve and develop the collective memory of Qatari plastic art, and spread artistic awareness among school students.” In this regard, she emphasized that the Center will cooperate with schools in the coming period.
The Center has recently organized a workshop on monochrome printing, led by the artist Abdul Rahman Al-Mutawa over three days. It aimed at introducing the trainees, aged 17 years and over, to engraving tools, the relevant machines, and printing methods and techniques, as well as providing a great deal of hands-on experience so that they can complete their work on their own while getting acquainted with the latest techniques that the trainer has mastered through his long experience in the field of printing. This would raise their awareness of the need for engaging in learning the new developments in this field.