Attention to art and architecture sparkles in photo exhibition

Renowned fine-art photographer, author and educator Joel Tjintjelaar has underlined Qatar’s vibrant art scene and the stunning architecture across the country, featuring 27 striking black and white images in his first exhibition in the Middle East.
“First of all I think the art here in Qatar is really amazing. Just look at what they do with the museums here, there's a lot of attention to art,” the multi-award-winning photographer told Gulf Times.

Sheikh Abdulla bin Jassim Al-Thani Palace at NMoQ

He was speaking on the sidelines of the opening of ‘The Age of Modern Architecture in Qatar’ exhibition on November 8 at M7, which was attended by Qatar Museums chairperson HE Sheikha Al Mayassa. The event, sponsored by Qatar Tourism and running until January 21, 2023, draws inspiration from grand architectural design objects that contribute to the identity of Qatar.

Renowned fine-art photographer, author and educator Joel Tjintjelaar at the ‘The Age of Modern Architecture in Qatar’ exhibition.

These include the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), Qatar National Library, Katara Towers, Burj Doha, National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ), and the Al Janoub Stadium, among others. “I’ve been everywhere to shoot architecture. Well I like a place where there's a connection with history… look at the National Museum (of Qatar), it is based on the desert rose crystal so there's always this connection. It is a young country but the architecture, it respects the environment, the culture, and that is what I like about,” said Tjintjelaar, who also lauded renowned architects such as Jean Nouvel and I M Pei, who designed the National Museum of Qatar and the Museum of Islamic Art, respectively.




While having the opportunity to photograph Nouvel’s architectural designs in France, he said seeing the architect’s works in Doha is “something completely different and see that he is really a great architect.”
He noted that he also finds the Al Janoub Stadium amusing, noting that its architect, the late Zaha Hadid, was one of his favourites.




Tjintjelaar, who specialises in black and white, long exposure, architectural, landscape, and still life photography, said there are numerous buildings in Qatar that he likes to photograph, including mosques and the new Lusail Plaza Towers, and hopes to conduct a workshop next year.




Tjintjelaar was born in Jakarta and raised in The Netherlands. He was trained as a criminal lawyer but worked in IT for more than 20 years before he quit his daytime job in 2014 to do photography full-time.