ArtDayME: Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha hosts Qatar: Close to My Soul – Art from the Collection of Abdulla bin Ali Al Thani, an exhibition showcasing works from the late 1960s onwards. The show offers a comprehensive overview of Qatari art, highlighting the artists, movements, and ideas that have shaped the country’s modern and contemporary art landscape.

A poetic journey into the past and present, Qatar: Close to My Soul is a testament to the diversity and development of the nation’s visual culture. Featuring a significant number of artists and artworks, the exhibition reveals the distinct thematic approaches that have emerged and converged over different generations.

The exhibition is divided into three thematic sections. The first of these, O’mri Qatar, explores how artists draw inspiration from traditional architectural and natural landscape. The second, Dewdrops, features works portraying society, and the third, Boundless Expanse, presents various experiments in abstraction and hurruffiya, an art form incorporating Arabic letterforms. Through the exhibited works, texts and archival material, visitors will gain a deeper insight into the history of modern and contemporary art in Qatar.

The exhibition runs through August 9, 2025.

Photo credit: Abdulla bin Ali Al Thani’s Collection