Qatari artist blends traditional, digital art

Qatari artist Noora al-Hardan is challenging conventional notions of art by seamlessly blending traditional mediums with cutting-edge digital techniques in her piece, "Lost and Found Again,” at the Fire Station: Artist in Residence.The artist’s work, on view as part of the 'A House Overlooking the World' exhibition, explores the fascinating stories hidden within abandoned spaces, prompting viewers to see the familiar in a new light."An example like an abandoned hut, a pair of forgotten shoes, or a (discarded) blanket. For instance, here in my work, I currently have a blanket that was thrown onto a car in a junkyard that I found, and I feel like for some reasons everyone had used an old blanket in their childhood,” she told Gulf Times.Al-Hardan said her artistic journey began with a fascination for photography. Inspired by abandoned places like junkyards and buildings slated for demolition, she captures the remnants of human existence through her lens."My art always starts with photography so I got interested in analogue photography at university. I took an analogue film class with Khalifa al-Obaidly (Fire Station: Artist in Residence director) and after this class, I fell in love with old film strips and developing.Her work excels the boundaries of traditional art by incorporating spray paint, digital prints, and even old slide projectors. "I started as a traditional artist,” she reveals. "But I was encouraged to explore new mediums. Digital art is more interactive and engaging for viewers. It’s about finding the right balance and adding a fresh perspective”.About using a mix of digital and traditional art in communicating with her viewers, al-Hardan said such technique offer a unique visual experience for them, noting that people enjoy the combination since it is not something they see frequently."I want to compare both, this (old projector) isn’t smooth as you can see, it’s very loud and it doesn’t move quickly, whereas the digital (projector) is very smooth. I feel like it’s a nice contrast having both,” she pointed out.About the growing popularity and interest in digital art in Qatar and the region, al-Hardan said: "I wouldn’t say more popular but I feel like people, maybe my age, like the younger people, we are interested in the past. We love finding stuff that aren’t familiar with us because we are very familiar with digital projectors but like this (old projector), it's an interesting thing”.Besides al-Hardan, 16 other artists are showcasing their unique pieces at the exhibition, which runs until December 31. Some of these include Shuaa al-Kuwari’s (Qatar) Modern Portrait, Mohammed al-Emadi’s (Qatar) Busnida Universe – Chapters 0-3, and Marco Bruno and Simone Carena’s (Italy) MotoElastico, among others.