Khalid Tawalbeh
Doha
It’s time to celebrate football as the whole country is decorated with celebratory images to welcome FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 fans.
Just step out of your house, you will be treated with celebratory images of the first FIFA World Cup of the Arab world on the walls and building facades, flyovers, schools, universities and real estate to greet the World Cup visitors.
These murals and art pieces promote Qatar’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup by blending its heritage and culture with football to provide Qatar’s guests with an image of the country’s richness in art and visual scenes.
A large group of Qatari, Arab and international artists have come together to complete these art pieces full of life, including artist Hassan Bahou, the maker of famous murals for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
Qatari artist Abdul Hamid Al Siddiqi told Qatar Tribune, “Murals are a great art and the easiest way to communicate an idea, and there are many ideas. It can be a cultural, artistic, heritage, sports or national idea. I have participated in many exhibitions and I have had an imprint through them and I believe that Qatar deserves a lot from us.”
He admired many Qatari arts and the great achievements that the state has reached, sponsored by His Highness the Amir of State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who spared no efforts to elevate Qatar and build a legacy for the world.
Artist Hassan Bahou has said, “Through my murals ‘Hayuu’ and ‘Live the Moment’, I was able to express the feelings of pride that overwhelm all Arabs by holding the 2022 World Cup on Arab soil, and through the art of the murals, I was keen to enhance the festive atmosphere during the most prominent football event in the region.”
Artists such as Amal Sarhan, Abdulrahman Ahmadi, and Maya Attiya have completed a wonderful collection of murals through the JedariArt initiative.
Among the most important murals on display are “Color Your World” by Maryam Al-Maadhadi who said “We are much honoured to be part of beautifying the streets and areas across Qatar”.
Among all the professional drawings, there were the most magnificent and elegant murals by the famous Saudi artists Badr Al Balawi and Shams Al Zahrani who were seen making marvelous graffiti drawings on the Doha Corniche.
A lot of other artists have been involved in the production of these art pieces.
Dr Obaida Shtayat, a Jordanian national who was taking look at the new-look Doha Corniche, expressed his admiration for the beautification works.
“Murals are an expression of society. And Qatar with its great heritage, culture and history should be written through vibrant murals. I propose to work on the idea of completing the largest mural in the world in Qatar to talk about Qatar, its history, heritage and achievements in one mural because murals are closer to communicating the idea than books because they are wonderful pictures and drawings in colours,” Shtayat said.
Anas Ziyad, a resident, said: “I rarely go out for a walk in the Corniche area. But being here today changed my mind. The scene is very wonderful when you see Qatari heritage and sports combined in one drawing.”
He expressed how happy he was to stroll with his colleagues on the Doha Corniche, enjoying the great aesthetic scene, and waiting for the arrival of the World Cup to cheer on the national team of Qatar.
Natasha Kalevoska, a Ukrainian visitor, who was playing sports along the Corniche, said: “Qatar, the best, the most beautiful, the most pompous, the safest, and I don’t think there is a place in the world that can work on all these great preparations except Qatar.”
Natasha stressed that murals scattered on the streets are an art of painting, which is called graffiti art where the artist shows his ideas and transforms them from paper to walls. It is a free art that gives freedom to its maker to express his love for a team, his homeland or his sport.
“The murals aim to promote Qatar’s hosting of the World Cup by blending its heritage and culture with football, to give Qatar’s guests a vivid picture of the richness of the artistic and visual landscape in the country,” Sarah Kafood, Deputy Chairperson of the Supervisory Committee of Beautification of Roads and Public Places in Qatar at Public Works Authority (Ashghal) had said.
