Murals, graffiti a positive art form in Qatar, say artists

Adorning various locations across Qatar with graffiti and murals celebrating local themes enhances the artistic and creative environment, a number of Qatari painters and artists have said.Speaking to local Arabic daily Arrayah, they stressed that the support of graffiti and mural artists would certainly contribute to enhancing the beauty of the streets and various areas.Hayfaa al-Khuzaai said an increasing interest was seen in murals and graffiti during the period before the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, as the country got decked up to receive international tourists."This initiative reflected positively on the overall aesthetic scene of the country, and drew the attention of the world to Qatar,” she said. "It helped shed more light on participating local artists, and constituted an active platform to exercise and display their creativity."Hassa Kala sees a need for more Qatari artists to be engaged in this field so they can express the national identity in their works, giving tourists some insight about the local culture.Eman al-Hydous stressed there is a need to pay more attention to murals and 3D paintings at key public spaces, especially since Qatar is known worldwide and many tourists come to the country."This has to go side by side with the massive urban development of the country, she said. "More focus should be given to the themes that convey different stories from the Qatari heritage and history."Hassan BuJassum remarked that the murals and graffiti in public areas should focus on themes inspired by the local environment.Mariam al-Mulla said murals would certainly reflect the bright image of Qatar and shed more light on its development, history and heritage throughout the past and the present.Issa al-Malki said that there is a need to maintain the various shapes and types of artistic works across the country, not just the murals, as these help express the local identity in different forms of creativity.