Doha: A virtual exhibition showcasing stunning paintings by pioneering Qatari artist Masoud Al Bulushi was launched yesterday by the Cultural Village Foundation — Katara on its official website.
Titled “The Unreachable Mirage,” the exhibition is a brilliant display of 20 of Al Bulushi’s works which combine realism and abstraction, many of which depict portraits of women wearing traditional face covering which is the batoola.
An award-winning artist, Bulushi has always had a fascination with the face covering of Arab women, a subject which he has explored in his paintings in the past decades. In this collection, the artist exhibits his unique style of blending traditional and contemporary elements resulting to a modern take on the subject while staying true to his roots.
A member of the Qatar Fine Arts Society and the Souq Waqif Art Center, Bulushi has exhibited both locally and internationally receiving a string of awards for his exceptional work including the Grand prize at the Youth Exhibition by Qatar Fine Arts Association in 2003 and the Second International Mini Art Exhibition for visual arts by the Ministry of Culture and Sports in Qatar in 2015.
His works had been displayed in Paris, London, Morocco and Cuba and his solo exhibitions included ‘Behind the Dark’ at Souq Waqif in 2011 and ‘Al That’ at Katara in 2013 among others.
“The Unreachable Mirage” is the sixth virtual exhibition presented by Katara. It follows “Heritage” exhibition featuring works by another Qatari artist Hassan Bu Jassoum which reflect important aspects of Qatari culture and heritage as perceived and visually translated by the artist.
Other virtual exhibitions launched by Katara include “Patches” by Syrian contemporary artist Hadi Qasous featuring 16 paintings which he integrates calligraphy into stunning colours and shapes, “Culture Collision” by Hassan Taleb Alsalat which showcases 14 interesting artworks that place famous cartoon characters in a the Gulf setting in which familiar objects in the region are depicted in the paintings; “The Result” by Fatima Al Nuaimi which displays 19 acrylic on canvas works which reflect both unanticipated and foreseen results combined in one artwork; and “Al Taybeen” by Ali Dasmal Al Kuwari which focuses on 17 realist paintings depicting traditional objects and Qatari architecture.
With a number of exciting features, these exhibitions, which can be accessed via Katara’s website until the end of the year, make it possible for people to see artworks up close anytime as if they were visiting Katara’s galleries in person