A whirlwind of colour and texture adorn The Bridge at InterContinental Doha The City hotel produced by talented Art students from Doha College. The exhibition showcases 20 pieces of original artwork from GCSE and A Level students representing the broad range of creative material produced by the students, the culmination of a four-month project based on themes set by teachers and the Pearson examination board.

The works on display are from boys and girls of different nationalities and represent a mixture of abstract, semi-abstract and figurative artwork, featuring techniques from traditional painting and drawing to mixed media, collage and semi-relief work.

Ferhan Khan, Head of Art at Doha College said that the school is immensely proud of the work the students produce:

It gives us a lot of satisfaction, as their teachers, to see the artistic journey and growth these students go through in their techniques, developing their personal styles and bringing their creative visions to life. Tonight has been a great celebration for students, parents, teachers, VIP guests and the art community, and we are very grateful to the Intercontinental the City for providing us with this gallery space – it’s a moment to be proud of.’

Doha College Principal Dr Sommer is also very grateful to InterContinental Doha The City Hotel for the exposure it has given the students and their work. He especially mentioned Pascal Eggerstedt and his team for giving them the space for two months.

One student who took part in the exhibition, Aisling McMahon, explained how she produced her piece by analysing the work of different artists who studied water for the theme of surface and texture:

I looked at six different artists such as Pollack, Liechtenstein and Van Gogh. My final piece is an amalgamation of all their styles, to represent the differing elements of water and the splashes. This is an amazing experience which would not happen in the UK. It’s been incredible – seeing and meeting all these people and explaining my work to them.’

Nour Mohammed Ali, another student whose work is also displayed at the exhibition told us the story behind her artwork:

I used past, present and future as my theme and started looking at my family and the family tree, as my Mum is Qatari and my Dad is Lebanese. I looked into the war in Lebanon when we lived there; I drew the mosque in bronze and gold colours, showing the potential for the future. The brown around the mosque depicts the newspapers and how Lebanon was crumbling with the war, while pink is my childhood colour and represents my past as a child in Lebanon. Inside the mosque is the Arabic writing with my personal information; as not everyone can read Arabic, it’s both public and private at the same time. The leaves in the Lebanese colours represent my family tree, and the trees from my childhood. The red represents blood, to stand for the pain and loss the Lebanese felt during the war and even now.’

Visit dohacollege.com for more information.