Joelyn Baluyut
DOHA
The final Ajyal Talk at the Ajyal Film Festival featured an engaging discussion on the ability of art to drive social change, with renowned artists Ghada Al Khater and Khalid Albaih exploring how art conveys truth and serves as a form of political expression.
The conversation, titled ‘Voices Through Art: Creating Change and Inspiring Action’, explored how art reflects personal values and can influence society.
Khater, a Qatari multidisciplinary artist, shared her perspective on the alignment of passion and purpose in art.
"Art is the thing about the cause that speaks true to your heart once you align it completely with what you want to do as a creative or an artist or a poet or a writer. Everything around you is going to radiate within that frequency,” she explained.
"You put your work out there, you will attract the people you want to see in the same field, and you will. And you will meet your heroes, and you’ll probably become a hero to someone else. Just because you know you decided to go.”
Khater’s statement emphasised how deeply connecting one’s artistic journey with personal values can set off a ripple effect, bringing together like-minded individuals and shaping the future of both art and activism.
Khalid Albaih, a Sudanese artist and activist, expanded on the political nature of all art.
"I think every art is political. It just comes down to what you do, because at the end, this is your opinion. Politics is about opinion, right? So this is your opinion. This is how you feel,” he said.
"Politics doesn’t mean that it has to be journalism. I believe this is right, this is right and this is wrong.”
Albaih’s thoughts underscored the idea that political expression is inherent in every form of art. Regardless of medium, artists inherently share their viewpoints, shaping political discourse through their work.
Khater also reflected on the challenges faced in the Middle East, where critical stories are often overlooked.
The Ajyal Talk was part of this year’s Ajyal Film Festival, which concluded on Saturday, marking the end of a celebration of creativity and cultural exchange that brought together artists, filmmakers, and thought leaders from around the world.