Functional art is generally applied art – art created for use with an aesthetic in mind. Occupying that tenuous space between fine art and the everyday life, functional art refers to aesthetic objects that serve utilitarian purposes. The genre is remarkably inclusive. It encompasses everything from furniture and lighting to dishes and even books.

The recently concluded Qatar Al Fann, an exhibition featuring functional art and highlighting Qatari art and culture by local artists, witnessed immense response underlining the interest of people in the genre.

The exhibition at the Fire Station hosted the products selected after a design competition titled ‘Qatar Al Fann’ or ‘Qatar Art.’ The objective of the competition was to transform functional products that the general public interacts with to functional art like landscape furniture, carpets, rugs, etc.

Lata Jadhav, Indian art and interior designer, was one of the participants displaying her designed items at the exhibition.

In an interview with Gulf Times, the designer spoke about her works and experience of being a part of the competition in Qatar.

“I was born and brought up in Mumbai. I have a bachelor’s degree in arts with specialisation in interior and graphic design. I won the best student award at my school and the best design award at college. Before coming to Qatar in 2005, I worked in India for six years under architect Shaukat Mukhi & Associates in Mumbai.

“I am an interior designer and functional artist. I love and live design. I strongly believe that one should work in the field that one is passionate about to bring out the best result.”

Lata expressed her happiness over being a part of the competition and then exhibiting her designs at the exhibition. “I found Qatar Al Fann to be a unique platform where for the first time in Qatar, we had the government, private sector and the artists come together to make the exhibition a success despite the challenges thrown by the Covid-19 pandemic. I submitted multiple design concepts in the competition. I was fortunate enough that almost all of the designs were selected and featured in the exhibition.”

The designer views art as means of engaging the viewers and functional art as serving a purpose artistically. “Fine art is a means of an artistic expression and to engage with the viewers by building a relationship and delivering your message. Similarly, functional art, I believe, takes this engagement further where the art pieces deliver the function for what it was intended for and provide a customised user experience.”

Lata, who has been working with multimillion projects in Qatar, is all praise for the artistic scenes of the country.

“Through Qatar’s journey towards development of artists and appreciation of the art, I have witnessed how the country has been creating the niche platform for art and artists alike. Qatar is fast becoming a development hub for art through iconic buildings and organisations like Museum of Islamic Art, National Museum, Katara Art Centre, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum: Msheireb Museums to name a few. We can all see Qatar become a leading country in the Middle Eastern art environment.”

The designer thinks that staying in Qatar has helped in developing her skills further. “Qatar has provided me an array of opportunities to develop and grow myself as a designer. I have got opportunities to expand my horizon and skills through working with multi-million-dollar projects delivering the vision for FIFA 2022 and Qatar vision 2030.

“I would like to extend my gratitude towards Coastal Qatar for organising such a visionary event. I also sincerely thank authorities including Doha Fire Station, Qatar Musuems, Ashghal, Katara Hospitaility, and Qatari Diar for supporting the event and all fellow artists for connecting in this event.”Seating Inspired for Sadu fabric

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