Qatar in Colour |
forehead, which is said to protect the skin from
ultraviolet light.
The Batoula sculpture was created while I was revisiting
memories of my childhood, the simpler life and the
beautiful faces I have seen covered by a mask that holds
behind it many stories – especially love stories.
Recently, you also created the installation titled
“The Mother”. What does it mean?
| Boutnag by Fatma Al Shebani
“The Mother” is a conceptual artwork inspired by our
homeland. The artwork is influenced by the look and
feel of the tree, where obstacles may hinder its growth
and prosperity, but despite its small size, it stands tall and
shades those underneath.
When you inherit the seed of glory, you inherit too the
storms, earthquakes and volcanoes that come along
with them, but the storms leave behind fertile land that
promises a better future.
What does your Batoula art piece mean to you?
In Arabic history, the Islamic mask for married women,
the Batoula, is considered an important part of any
woman’s dress. It was a signal differentiating young girls
and older women.
Growing up, I adored older ladies and it was always a
pleasure to take a peek under their Batoula to see their
faces filled with love and motherhood. I remembered
the purple pigment the Batoula leaves behind on the
Audiences can interact with “The Mother” by writing
letters to our homeland and hanging them on the barbed
wire entwined around the tree to make it grow and
bloom ever larger. I proposed this concept in memory
of the first year of the blockade imposed on the State of
Qatar on 5 June 2017.
How do you see the art scene in Qatar
developing over the coming years?
Qatar’s art scene is diverse and growing.
In Qatar, contemporary art is the genre of choice. We
are opening museums, such as the National Museum of
Qatar, which is bound to become another icon of Qatar’s
glory. We have the Museum of Islamic Art, Mathaf Arab
Museum of Modern Art, Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al
Thani Msheireb Museums, Katara Cultural Village, and
many galleries.
I am glad to say, the art scene in Qatar is thriving.
| Close-up of The Mother by Fatma Al Shebani
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