Katara’s Ramadan Festival has opened with an exhibition — Arabic Calligraphy and Quran, A Shared Journey — featuring a collection of copies of Quran of prominent Qatari art collector Ibrahim Fakhroo.
Dr Khalid Al Sulaiti, General Manager of Katara, along with several Qatari intellectuals, opened the expo at Building 22. It continues until August-end.
“The exhibition sheds light on the evolution of calligraphy associated with the holy Quran. I expect that it will attract wide attention due to its specificity in selecting the displayed treasures. The exhibition comprises models of original Quran classified chronologically,” said Dr Al Sulaiti.
“The displayed artworks are not things that I own. They are thoughts that I would like to share with visitors. Each gallery contains a story that I want to convey to the visitor through a certain idea. Therefore, I chose to make the idea of this exhibition aligned with the general atmosphere of the Ramadan festival this year.
“This Ramadan, we are celebrating the Arabic calligraphy,” said Fakhroo.
He thanked Katara for supporting Qatari artists and reviving the spirit of the Islamic culture. “I appreciate efforts of Katara to maintain the roots of our culture and characteristics of our Arab and Islamic identity,” he added.
Katara Public Relations and Communication Director, Malika Al Shraim said that Ibrahim Fakhroo’s exhibition attracts a large number of visitors who are interested in getting a glimpse of the art of calligraphy and its stages of development, as well as the discovery of the close relationship between calligraphy and the holy Quran.
Katara’s Ramadan festivities also host a group of Islamic speakers to give 10 public lectures during the holy month.
Katara will also collaborate with Sheikh Thani bin Abdullah Foundation for Humanitarian Services to present Sheikh Mohamed Al Uraifi in an Islamic lecture at Katara Grand Mosque on July 20.
Activities include an exhibition of calligraphy paintings from various Muslim countries, reflecting the beauty of calligraphy and how the artists have merged it with plastic arts.
Other expos include Majaz by British-Iraqi calligrapher Sabah Al Arbili; a ceramics expo celebrating the works of Mahir Samara’i; the Wahdania expo in which artist Shaheeda Ahmad will present her handicraft for the first time in Qatar; the Iman expo, which will feature a group of artists who express their religious views; and an expo by Tunisian graffiti artist Vincent Abadie Hafez featuring 99 paintings with the 99 names of Allah.
An art initiative ‘One Million Dots’ will allow visitors to make dots until the number is reached.
Other highlights of the festival include an expo on Islamic stamp designs, sand painting, history of the press in Qatar, a currency exhibition, a documentary film competition and shows, a book fair, religious stanzas, children’s workshops, a beach football competition, a Garangao celebration and Ramadan competition.
http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/qatar/244917-ramadan-festival-opens-at-katara.html
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