Many from Spain have come to visit Doha through creative art pieces displayed at a recently inaugurated exhibition at Katara. The fascinating artworks attracted a huge gathering on the eve of the opening.
The exhibition – Spanish Artists in Doha – turned out to be an art gala where art admirers, diplomatic community of Doha and artists were present in large numbers to appreciate the works of 13 Spanish artists.
The exhibition will continue in Katara - the Cultural Village from January 20 to 30 at building 47. The Spanish Foundation Art and Culture without Borders has brought this fascinating exhibition which was opened by Belen Alfaro, Ambassador of Spain to Qatar; Princess Beatrice of Orleans, President of Honour of the Foundation; and Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti, General Manager of Katara - the Cultural Village.
The exhibition that offers 65 paintings highlighting different art techniques and themes is actually a rare opportunity for the art lovers in Doha to view the works of a group of outstanding artists from Spain. Hessa Kalla, Qatari artist, is also participating with five paintings, making the exhibition a Qatari-Spanish mutual exchange in art and culture.
The participating Spanish artists are namely: Adela Castillo from Granada, Aixa Portero from Málaga, Blanca Cuesta from Huelva, Encarnación Hitos from Granada, Micaela Flores Amaya “La Chunga” from Marsella, Isabel Valdecasas from Sevilla, José Gabaldón from Valencia, Kiko Camacho from Buenos Aires, María Acuyo from Granada, María Teresa Ibañez, Romy Querol from Barcelona, Tomás Baletzena from Madrid, and Viky García from Santiago de Compostela.
‘Spanish Artists in Doha’ is an appreciation of the invaluable support of Katara together with the co-sponsors of the exhibition, namely Qatar Airways and Mondrian Doha, and with the collaboration of the Embassy of Spain in Doha and the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Qatar.
Talking to Community Ambassador Belen Alfaro said: “The exhibition is a further demonstration of the fact that the relations between Qatar and Spain are deeply rooted and strong in many fields, especially in the important sector of arts and culture where Spain has a very important historical legacy of Islamic art. This makes this exhibition a great opportunity for enriching mutual knowledge and will contribute to bring Spain and Qatar closer”. She added: that “This exhibition will be continued by an exhibition of Qatari artists in Spain”.
The Spanish ambassador was upbeat about the variety of techniques and themes of the art pieces. “There are many abstract paintings with lots of beautiful colours. The 13 artists come from different regions in Spain. They have different art perspectives and methods. A majority of paintings seemed to be influenced by the Mediterranean Sea.  
“The exhibition is actually an encounter between the cultures of the East and the West. It is a colourful exchange of cultures. Cultural diplomacy and exchanges are the most important aspect in bilateral relations. Culture is a link between two peoples. Culture connects people. It brings people from two different countries closer. The exchanges are very enriching. I am impressed to see the response of the art community in Doha.”
Princess Beatrice said: “I am very impressed by Qatar and the way they welcomed us. We are all happy to be here. The idea of the exhibition was to introduce the Spanish artists to Qatar. We as the foundation take artists to different countries.“We have all sorts of art here. We have modern one, impressionistic, expressionistic, contemporary and even the Flamenco. We are a foundation without borders. We are based in Spain and we started five years ago. We help young artists all over the world. We try to make them known.
“This is my first visit to Qatar. I have visited main places and I am really impressed. I find everybody very kind and welcoming here.”
Franck Gellet, Ambassador of France to Qatar, said: “It is always fascinating to see the diversity of artists. I can see different styles. Many paintings highlight Europe’s traditional architectures in a modern way. I like some figurative works included in the exhibition. The exhibition also shows that how Europe is still creative and inventive. We are happy to share these traditions.”



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