Virginia Commonwealth University School of Arts Opens its Art Gallery

The Gallery of Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar) hosts the exhibition "re:collections" from September 15 through December 17.

The public is welcome to view the exhibition at the university which is a partner of the Qatar Foundation (QF) from 9 am to 5 pm on Sunday through Thursday and from 10 am to 4 pm on Saturdays.

Six locally based artists are included in the exhibition, whose works were developed and produced using inspiration from the surrounding environment.

Yasmeen Suleiman, head of the Materials Library at VCUarts Qatar, is the curator of "re:collections." She is a Qatar-based Palestinian designer and educator who holds a BFA (Hons) in Interior Design and an MFA in Design from VCUarts Qatar. In order to preserve culture, crafts, architecture, and design, her research examines ideas of temporality and permanence.

The infinite readings, interpretations, and translations that take place when thinking about place, memory, and time are attempted to be unraveled in this show, according to Suleiman. It brings together a varied group of artists who explore context through the social and cultural aspects of the built and natural environments.

Amena al-Yousef, a 2019 graduate of VCUarts Qatar Painting + Printmaking, will exhibit a collection of natural mineral pigments that were taken from rocks and plants in the Qatari area. She sees her artistic practice as an ongoing research project that aids in her understanding of nature and the changes in human perception and approach to it, particularly with the development of technology. She is an interdisciplinary artist whose work focuses on the theme of human interaction with nature.

The Atlas Bookstore's Fatma and Reem al-Sehlawi will be showcasing a collection of books and postage stamps that trace the history of study on Qatar's indigenous flora and fauna from the 1980s to 2022.

They co-founded Atlas Bookstore in 2015 as a lending library and bookstore that specializes in publications with references.

A collection of vivid and understated photographs by Markus Elblaus that were captured during his excursions to Qatar's New Industrial Area will be on display. Elblaus is a Swedish photographer and artist who has lived in Doha since 2007. He graduated from the University of Gothenburg's School of Photography with a degree in fine arts. He is a professional photographer who specializes in capturing images of architecture, particularly Qatar's dynamic urban environment. The work of painters Bernt and Hilda Becher, who documented German industrial architecture, has had a profound influence on him.

The abstract pictures on display were influenced by Qatari culture and were created by the artistic team Christto & Andrew, who are located in Doha, Qatar, and Copenhagen, Denmark. Their work combines elements of culture, technology, and the past and future.