Go behind the scenes with artists, curators, conservators, educators, and more to discover the many extraordinary stories taking place across Qatar Museums.
Our Stories
Take a closer look at modern and contemporary Arab art through our original interviews, essays, videos and more.
Conservation Highlights: Untitled (1982) by Dia Azzawi
Read to find out how Mathaf’s conservation team protect and maintain an Iraqi masterpiece.
Sites of Imagination: Curator’s Letter
Read this letter from Lina Ramadan, curator of Wafa Al-Hamad: Sites of Imagination, about her inspirations and methods curating this landmark exhibition.
The Women Artists of Close to My Soul: Jameela Al-Shraim
Read about Jameela Al-Shraim, one of the Qatari women artists featured in Mathaf’s spring exhibition Qatar: Close to My Soul.
Echoed Narratives: Inside the Your Ghosts Are Mine exhibition with Matthieu Orléan
Explore the curatorial process and the stories behind the artworks at the Your Ghosts Are Mine exhibition from the curator, Matthieu Orléan.
Close to My Soul: The Story of Modern and Contemporary Qatari Art
Read this interview with Fatima Mostafawi, curator of Qatar: Close to My Soul.
Welcome to Mathaf
Explore Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art through the eyes of new visitors and dedicated culturalists alike.
Conservation series: The Lifecycle of Artworks
Read the latest in Mathaf’s Conservation Series to understand the lifecycle of artworks within the museum.
Louay Kayali: Painting Syria
Read about Syrian painter and modern art pioneer Louay Kayali.
'Mathaf' the film
Explore Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art as you’ve never seen it before in this special short film.
Mohamed Melehi: A Giant of Postcolonial Art in Morocco
Read about Mohamed Melehi, part of a generation of Moroccan artists who had grand visions for art in their country.
Faiq Hassan: Celebrating Iraqi Folk Life
This artist is credited with paving the way forward in Iraq’s modern art scene.
Collection Highlight: Yousef Ahmad and the Evolution of a Visual Language
Read about Qatari artist Yousef Ahmad, and his career interpreting local traditions into modern art.
Collection Highlight: Madiha Umar, Precursor of Early Modern Calligraphy
This Iraqi-American artist pioneered the movement combining Arabic calligraphy and modern abstract art.
An Exercise in Remembrance: A Conversation with Sam Bardaouil
Co-curator Sam Bardaouil, unpacks the complex curatorial processes that shaped Beirut and the Golden Sixties: A Manifesto of Fragility.
Collection Highlight: Huguette Caland’s Beginnings (1964-69)
Read about intrepid Lebanese artist Huguette Caland, and her career beginnings in Beirut.