There can be different opinions about the genre of street art but no one can deny its importance, when it comes to being in sight and available for everyone, irrespective of one’s social stratum, to appreciate creative pieces.
Murals and other forms of street art are very common in major cities of the world where street artists continue to paint the walls with their creative skills and unique subject matters. In this regard, Doha is not an exception.
Katara - the Cultural Village also supports and promotes street art. Recently, a talented Argentinian street artist painted a huge oryx outside Building 40. Facing towards the beech, the oryx is visible for the visitors even when they are driving by the building.
The mural was unveiled jointly by Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti, General Manager of Katara; Dr Carlos Hernandez, Ambassador of Argentina to Qatar; and Martin Ron, the talented young street artist; in the presence of a large gathering on a pleasant evening.
Martin is an artist based in Buenos Aires. He specialises in the creation of large inspirational murals that already decorate many walls of his city.
His works have a realistic feeling that is hard to match, while at the same time they include fantasy segments that are inspiring. He is known for the originality in his work and attends festivals and competitions around the world. “I travel around the world and create murals in collaboration with local artists and organisations. I have been painting murals for the last 15 years. I came to Qatar as a part of the artists invited by Pallas Art. Katara and the Pallas Art collaborated to create the oryx mural. Katara offered the wall and I completed the mural,” Marin said while talking to Community.
He further said: “The city of Doha is new for me. I learnt that oryx is an important figure for Qatar, that is why I chose to paint the huge mural. I also love painting exotic animals in big shapes. Wherever I am, I typically chose the local animals.”
The oryx mural is noticeably huge. “The mural is six metres wide and 12 metre tall. It took me nearly five days to complete the project. I worked for seven hours a day. I have used typical paint colours that are used to paint the houses. I picked up the best quality. The paints will not be impaired by rain for a long time. The administration of Katara, however, needs to repaint it after some time.”
Martin loves to tell story through each of his murals. “I try to tell a story with my brush. In this case, the mural is free of any kind of interpretation. However, my intention is to highlight the pride of people of Qatar. When I came here, I learnt about the ongoing unjust blockade. At the same time, I heard people saying talking about resilience of Qatar as there is no impact of the blockade is visible. So, I have displayed a powerful oryx breaking a wall. The name of the mural is ‘Oryx Going Ahead.’ The background shows Doha skyline. The artist has painted the map of Qatar on the forehead of oryx.”
Martin finds Qatar an amazing place. “I am from the other part of the world. Qatar is so far from my country. When I came here, I felt I have discovered a hidden pearl. I think here art is growing.”
Ambassador Carlos was seemingly excited to have the mural painted by the Argentinian artist. “I am extremely happy because this is our first art work not only in Katara but also in Doha. It happened by chance. Martin came for a different work here.
“Katara people looked at his works and they asked him if he could do a mural for them. Katara wanted him to finish the work in one week and he has done it in five days. We have Martin’s works in streets of many cities around the world. I hope this is not going to be the last of his work in Qatar.”
The ambassador added: “Martin proposed the idea of painting the oryx and Katara accepted it. We have talks with Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti has promised to have an Argentine corner in Katara. We will try to hold cultural activities in the corner.”
LARGER THAN LIFE: The oryx mural can be seen outside Building 40 of Katara - the Cultural Village.
