Comics art exhibition opens at Al Jasrah Club

HE the Minister of Culture Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad al-Thani inaugurated a comics art exhibition on Wednesday evening at the Al Jasrah Cultural and Social Club, affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, in Souq Waqif.The opening was attended by HE the Minister of State and President of Qatar National Library Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kuwari along with several senior officials from the Ministry of Culture, Al Jasra Club, and enthusiasts.The exhibition, which will run for a week, features 60 comics artworks by seven Qatari artists: Abdulaziz Sadiq, Kholoud al-Ali, Fatima al-Nuaimi, Abdulaziz Youssef, Saeeda al-Badr, Kholoud al-Musallam, and Mana Ali.Vice-Chairman of Al Jasrah Club Khaled bin Ahmed al-Obaidan emphasised the club’s commitment to diverse cultural and artistic activities. He said that they have organised a full series of art exhibitions, starting with a fine art exhibition in co-operation with the Fine Arts Group, featuring nearly 70 works from various generations and schools.Following this, the club also organised another exhibition featuring cartoon artists from Qatar and Kuwait, highlighting the influential nature of caricature art among audiences. And now the current comics art exhibition, which combines creativity, storytelling, and dialogue, encapsulated by the artist in several panels. Al-Obaidan expressed his hope for the development of comics art, to raise public awareness of it and promote its growth, especially as Qatar’s art scene includes many talented artists in this field.He added that Al Jasrah Club strives for these artists to have a presence in the art scene and aim to nurture talented individuals. He added that organising such exhibitions is part of the club’s strategy to focus on the artistic capabilities of Qatari creatives.Artist Abdulaziz Sadiq, the exhibition supervisor, said that this is the second time Al Jasrah Club is hosting a cartoon exhibition, following a previous Qatari-Kuwaiti caricature exhibition. This time, it features comics, a unique form of caricature also known as manga, which consists of illustrated narratives based on a written script.He noted that this genre holds a special popularity on social media platforms, and the exhibition aims to showcase the works of Qatari artists who have excelled in this field, some of whom have published books in the genre.