Artworks by three alumni from Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar) are part of the exhibition, Road to Makkah, now on display at Eiwan Al Gassar Gallery at The St. Regis Doha. The exhibition will run until 10 September.
Thirty artists from 12 countries – Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, Iran, Bangladesh, Sudan, Tunisia, and the United Kingdom – are participating in the exhibition curated by Bachir Mohammad.
The three VCUarts Qatar alumni participating in the exhibition are:
- Faheem Khan (BFA Graphic Design, Class of 2019 / MFA in Design, Class of 2022)
- Othman M Khunji (MFA in Design, Class of 2015)
- Noof Al-Naama (BFA Interior Design, Class of 2022)
Less Water, More Holy: Tools for Sustainable Ablution
Faheem Khan’s art installation is titled Less Water, More Holy: Tools for Sustainable Ablution, which is also part of his thesis for MFA in Design. Khan said he feels a moral obligation to use his gifts and talent as a designer to help Muslims follow the Prophet’s sunnah.
He explained that Muslims pray five times a day and before each prayer, they first clean themselves by performing a ritual ablution (wudu). To visualise and better understand the nature of performing wudu with just one mudd of water (650 ml), his thesis included a two-part research investigation.
The first part proposed eight individual artifacts designed to show how little water is needed for each step of the process of wudu. Next, lessons extracted from this phase showed a series of contemporary artifacts designed to guide users toward a more reflective and sustainable spiritual practice.
Eight artworks by Othman M Khunji
Othman M Khunji’s contribution to the exhibition includes eight individual artwork:
- La wa illa
- Perpetual Affirmation
- Iqra
- Religious Authority
- Religious Vanity (three parts)
- Mecca Modified
Khunji used various media, such as 3D sculptures and scanned prints to explore the relationship between man and God. His latest work is titled Iqra, a 3D printed male form sculpture from verses from Surat Al Alaq which was the first revelation to Prophet Muhammad in Mecca at cave Hira.
The surat, according to Khunji, stresses the importance of focus on the righteous path and furthering one’s education. He said that the sculpture acts as a spiritual, conceptual compass, indicating where the centre of Islamic devotion is aimed – at the Ka’abah in Mecca.
Another example is Religious Vanity, a 3D scanned and printed artwork that contrasts the concept of man and machine-made imperfect constructions with God’s perfect creations. Portraying in size, colour and reflection the replacement of one’s love and devotion to Allah by one’s love centred on the self, these pieces showcase the derived relationship between a Muslim’s vanity and the divine.
Tawaf
Noof Al-Naama is presenting an artwork titled Tawaf, which illustrates instances of people encircling the Holy Ka’abah, a ritual performed by Muslims upon visiting Mecca.
Eiwan Al Gassar Gallery is an innovative, dynamic and community-engaged space fostering creatives in Qatar to celebrate art and design in all its broad aspects. The gallery is one of the many venues spread out across Doha that regularly host creative works by VCUarts Qatar alumni. VCUarts Qatar is a partner university of Qatar Foundation.
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