Community Special Amber Rahim Shamsi, who was at the Army Public School in P10-11 Peshawar right after the carnage that stunned Pakistan and shocked the world, writes for Community on its first anniversary. Friday, December 18, 2015 Rabia I 7, 1437 AH DOHA 14°C—24°C TODAY PUZZLES 14 & 15 LIFESTYLE/HOROSCOPE 16 INAUGURATION: Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti, General Manager of Katara, inaugurating the exhibition with Rashmi Agarwal, President of MAPS. COVER One big canvas STORY 24 artists, including top Qatari names, showcase diverse range at Colours of Desert exhibition. P2-4 2 GULF TIMES Friday, December 18, 2015 COMMUNITY COVER STORY Yearend zing Given how 14 of the 24 participating artists are new MAPS members, there’s a sense of added excitement to PRAYER TIME the Colours of Desert exhibition, writes Anand Holla Fajr 4.51am Shorooq (sunrise) 6.13am Zuhr (noon) 11.30am Asr (afternoon) 2.28pm Maghreb (sunset) 4.49pm Isha (night) 6.19pm USEFUL NUMBERS Emergency 999 Worldwide Emergency Number 112 Kahramaa – Electricity and Water 991 Ooredoo Telephone Assistance 111 Local Directory 180 International Calls Enquires 150 Time 141, 140 Doha International Airport 40106666 Labor Department 44508111, 44406537 Medical Commission 44679111 Mowasalat Taxi 44588888 Qatar Airways 44496000 Weather Forecast 44656590 Hamad Medical Corporation 44392222 44393333 Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation 44845555 44845464 Primary Health Care Corporation 44593333 44593363 Qatar Assistive Technology Centre 44594050 Qatar News Agency 44450205 44450333 Q-Post – General Postal Cristina Scicolone . Photos by Anand Holla Corporation 44464444 Qatar University 44033333 ucked a bit away from the all sorts of art; from acrylic and oil Shukoor (India), Wafa Mohamed endless gush of chilly sea- painting to silk painting to bead art,” Ahmed Elsebaie (Egypt), Cristina swept breeze, an exhibition of Agarwal says, pointing out that art is Scicolone (Italy), Karen Alicia Sinclair art as vibrant as Doha’s expat not just limited to paintings. “Craft is (Trinidad & Tobago islands), Sana population and as fi tting a also art. We have provided good space Hussan (Pakistan), Camilia Abu Hamda Ttribute to Qatar’s sincere embracing of to everyone. I am happy with how the (England), Cosette Kanso (Lebanon), te Unqu art, tradition, and culture, has proven to exhibition has turned out.” Elsy Tabet (Lebanon), Dina Mourad uo ot be just the right mega art event to bring Given how 14 of the 24 participating Hurn (England), Khaled Elmesawy Q e 2015 to a close. artists are new members, there’s a (Egypt), Shuruq Ali Hassan (Iraq), and Where At Gate 2 and Gate 3 of the Katara sense of added excitement to the Kavitha Murali Murugan (India). Amphitheater — open from 10am to event. “These artists feel proud to Community caught up with some of there’s tea 10pm until tomorrow — the Colours have their fi rst exhibition during the the artists to know more about their of Desert exhibition, featuring wide- Qatar National Day, and be inaugurated works on display: there’s hope. ranging works of 24 artists, including by Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti, some top Qatari names, has been General Manager of Katara. I believe Cristina Scicolone — Arthur drawing an impressive stream of visitors. this event will serve as a platform for I have been painting since I was a “A closer look at the title of the the upcoming artists,” says Agarwal, child. It’s always been my hobby. I Wing Pinero exhibition will tell you that it’s not while acknowledging the support she paint in acrylic, whatever I see and like. meant to limit the artists to any theme. has received from all corners and all This portrait of a little girl is that of In fact, we have encouraged them to participating artists. my cousin’s nephew. When I saw her showcase whatever they wish because The 24 artists whose works are up picture, I knew I wanted to draw it. If “colours” stand for diversity and range. at the exhibition are Rashmi Agarwal after the exhibition, it remains unsold, I And Qatar is home to people of so many (India), Athba al-Thani (Qatar), Fouad will gift it to my cousin back in Italy. As Features Editor nationalities and cultures,” says Rashmi al-Emadi (Kuwait), Abdul Rehman for my other works, most of them refl ect Agarwal, a silk painter and also the al-Dorani (Qatar), Moudhi al-Hajri my love for nature and landscapes. Kamran Rehmat President of Middle-East Art and Silk (Qatar), Lyubov Jalladyan (Tajikistan), There’s this painting of this very famous e-mail: [email protected] Painters (MAPS). Sara Ahmed al-Emadi (Qatar), Nibras Rialto Bridge at the Grand Canal in Telephone: 44466405 In its third annual group exhibition, al-Rukabi (British-Iraqi), Huda Hawwa Venice. It depicts the romantic sunset at Fax: 44350474 Qatar-based art community MAPS has (Qatar), Adnan Siraj (Pakistan), Keramat this place, which looks magical because continued to celebrate variety. “What’s Andalibi (Netherlands), Professor of the play of golden light due to some special is that the exhibition features Bashar Ali Ibrahim (Iraq), Naseema darkness in this spot. Friday, December 18, 2015 GULF TIMES 3 COVER STORY COMMUNITY Nibras al-Rukabi My work focusses on Islamic Art but a very diff erent type of it. I use the Qur’an as my inspiration, and specifi cally, Surat al-Waqiah, which focusses on the judgment day. I like to take aspects of that and translate them visually. For instance, this painting titled Tree of Zaqoom shows the only tree that’s there in hell. This tree has a fruit which when you eat, swells in your throat. When I was a child, this tree used to play on my mind all the time. So I had to paint it. It’s almost like a symbol of hope, but it’s a false hope. I have made it attractive on purpose because I want people to look at it and then look closer. That’s why the colours are also vibrant. I also like to highlight the woman who wears a hijab, and how important she is, how much of a role model she is, and so on. Nibras al-Rukabi Professor Bashar Ali Ibrahim I have specialised in Arabic calligraphy and I try to use elements of that in my works. I have painted the Aspire Tower in a dramatic way, almost abstract, because that’s how I see it in my mind. Also, in such works, I let the colours do the talking. I have also made acrylic paintings on old paper, mixed media, and have played with calligraphy and texture to create dimensions. I have also used lines from Rubaiyat Khayyam — the poems of the famous Persian poet Omar Khayyam — to accentuate the meaning of my paintings. Professor Bashar Ali Ibrahim Continued on Page 4 4 GULF TIMES Friday, December 18, 2015 COMMUNITY COVER STORY Continued from Page 3 Kavita Murugan me a lot to pursue drawing and painting Painting is my passion, and so is dance as a passion. I have tried my hand at oil and music. Art is vital to me. I was 12 and I painting, metal cutting, sand painting, was drawing a hibiscus in school when the solar woodwork, fl ower-making, and teacher told me to draw the same hibiscus in paper quilling. For this exhibition, I have the books of all the 24 students of my class. worked on my versions of Warli paintings, That incident in my childhood boosted Madhubani paintings and acrylic works. Keramat Andalibi Keramat Andalibi known to not make the same mistake twice. I am a self-taught artist and none of my My favourite though is that of the ant pushing works that I create are for sale. So, in this a huge drop of water because I see that the exhibition, I have presented my previous ant is always moving forward, and it’s always acrylic on canvas works that deal with nature working towards something. The ant is trying as a theme because I love animals. For instance, to save the world by holding on to water. We I have painted a donkey because it is an humans are not less than an ant. We are much amazing animal, the beast of burden that’s bigger, in fact. We should do more. Naseema Shukoor I create everything from bead-work, paper quilling, embroidery, collage, wax work and pixel art, and for this exhibition, I have presented some sugar bead art, coff ee art using toothpicks, and pixelated paper art. The one that catches everybody’s attention is this large bead-work replica of a beautiful oil painting by Raja Ravi Varma titled The Maharashtrian Lady. It features an Indian lady clad in traditional attire and ornaments, holding a plate of fruits. That piece needed 150,000 beads and six months to complete. Kavita Murugan Sana Hussan I am fascinated by Marbling and traditional Turkish Ebru art. For the exhibition, I switched from paper to canvas. I have used diff erent techniques and things, and have tried to project something related to Islam because I feel art is related to you and your inner self. This painting features a man praying at night in calmness and peace. I am trying to show how he is talking directly to his Creator, Allah. His prayers, shown in the way of feathers, are drifting into the blue sky, above the clouds and the moon. I have also experimented with the Ebru Akasi technique, where you marble a single paper twice or thrice by using a stencil and the results are certainly encouraging.