Sites of Imagination: More about the exhibition

Wafa al-Hamad: Sites of Imagination marks the first solo exhibition dedicated to al-Hamad, celebrating her life as a visionary artist and educator. It brings attention to her underrepresented role in the development of modern Qatari art, offering new insights into her contributions.

Stepping into the Future

Wafa al-Hamad approached abstraction not simply as a visual style but as a conceptual realm, offering sites of imagination that challenge conventional perceptions.

Her artistic research from early on mirrored her philosophy, emphasising the integration of technology into art to envision innovative ways of engaging with the world. Al-Hamad aimed to create work that “steps into the future,” through design and digital art practices, with Islamic art at its centre.

Additionally, this world represented to her the inner, the outer and the imaginative places that take shape in the artwork itself.

During her formative years at Al-Marsam Al-Hurr in Doha, al-Hamad was influenced by impressionism and surrealism, which left an early imprint on her work. Under the guidance of artists at the studio, including Laila Allam, she was introduced to arabesque patterns.

Al-Hamad reimagined these motifs, crafting her interpretations of Islamic design in vibrant, dreamlike colors. Inspired by Wassily Kandinsky’s theories of color and Victor Vasarely’s Op-art, she forged a unique artistic language of her own.

Stepping into the Local

The spiritual and intimate dimensions of Wafa al-Hamad’s practice are integral to her work. Rooted in an exploration of the local, whether the self or native landscapes, al-Hamad reflects on her deep connection to the Qatari and Gulf culture in her works. She also examines how ancestral guidance shapes contemporary life. Her work incorporates patterns inspired by Islamic and Andalusian heritage, focusing on details of doors, arches, and structural motifs that evoke cultural memory.

Architectural forms and abstracted landscapes become portals to spiritual and personal realms, while her vivid use of colour and experimental approach redefine tradition. By playfully engaging with heritage, al-Hamad challenges the notion of tradition as fixed through fluid and intimate expressions of identity.

Roots in Arab Modernisms: Selections from the Collection

Wafa al-Hamad’s work is interconnected with the work of a broader network of Arab artists. By positioning al-Hamad within this wider context, this exhibition honours her pivotal role in Gulf modernism while emphasising its resonance with Arab art movements.

Looking at her practice alongside the work of other women artists from Mathaf’s permanent collection, a profound connection to land, community, and spirituality can be observed, as well as the foundational role of abstraction in Arab visual art. These artists forged and reclaimed these forms of expression while documenting their worlds, from the political to the personal.

They also pioneered new artistic modes, such as Madiha Umar’s groundbreaking work with the Hurufiyya movement and Samia Halaby’s innovations in abstraction and kinetic art. Others, such as Balqees Fakhro, Wafika Sultan Al-Essa, and Thuraya al-Baqsami, explored lyrical abstraction and calligraphic experimentation, blending regional influences with contemporary aesthetics.

Their works engage with memory, identity, and the evolving visual language of the Arab world.