Qatari art exhibition showcases riches taken for granted

CAIRO – 18 June 2017: The Fire Station Gallery in Doha is hosting an art exhibition by two young Qatari artists showcasing how Qatar has taken its riches for granted.

The art by Maryam Al-Semaitt, 27, and Nawar Al-Mutlaq, 26, from images and sculptures, demonstrates “what happens when great wealth is taken for granted,” Bloomberg reported Friday.

The young artists deconstructed a five-pound riyal, and used each image and shape as a work of art.

“The fact that we have always taken safety for granted, security for granted, now we are questioning these kinds of things,” said Semaitt, adding that the message of the gallery is to highlight how “we never actually stop and appreciate what we have in our lives until we lose it.”

Commenting on the current crisis following the severing of relations with Qatar, Semaitt told Bloomberg, “this crisis has brought us together, has made us appreciate more the blessing we live in in our country.”

This situation “is going to be an eye opener for even the young generation to see that nothing lasts,” Mutlak stated. “We just happened to be lucky, being in this country, living the life everyone in the world wants to live,” she added.

The showcase is part of a larger exhibition titled “Unfolding Creative Methods,” celebrating the accomplishments of 20 talented artists, who have been in residency at the Fire Station for nine months. It shows samples of the artists’ work during their residency.

The exhibition will be open until August 19, 2017.