Contemporary Art from Qatar: The Abdulla bin Ali Al Thani Collection
2026-01-25 - 2026-03-07 | Atrium, VCUarts Qatar
This journey has not merely been about accumulating works but rather about experiencing and understanding the dynamic pulse of Qatari culture through its creative expressions.
– H.E. Dr. Abdulla bin Ali Al Thani

VCUarts Qatar is proud to host the official book launch of Contemporary Art from Qatar: The Abdulla bin Ali Al Thani Collection (Skira Arte, 2026) as part of Art Basel Qatar’s program.
Spanning three decades of collecting, the book traces the evolution of Qatari art from traditional motifs rooted in heritage to contemporary practices shaped by global dialogue and rapid transformation.
Accompanying the launch is VCUarts Qatar’s latest exhibition: نبض المكان | Pulse of Place: Selected Works from the Abdulla bin Ali Al Thani Collection, featuring works by 11 Qatari artists and designers—all VCUarts Qatar alumni—included in the book as key voices shaping Qatar’s contemporary visual culture.
We look forward to welcoming you as we mark the enduring legacy of H.E. Dr. Abdulla — a pioneering champion of Qatar’s creative ambitions and cultural life.

The exhibition curated by Dina Alkhateeb and Chase Westfall,
Special thanks to H.E. Sheikh Dr. Abdulla bin Ali Al Thani for sharing part of his collection and launching his book at VCUarts Qatar, Sheikh Fahad bin Jabor Al Thani, Anas Kutit and al markhiya gallery.

Exhibition
Date: Jan. 25–Mar. 7, 2026
Daily Timings: Sunday to Thursday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Location: The Gallery, VCUarts Qatar

Artist Bios
AISHA AL-SOWAIDI
B. 1983
Aisha Al-Sowaidi is a multidisciplinary designer based in Doha, Qatar, whose work reflects the intersection of tradition and modernity in Qatar’s evolving landscape. Drawing inspiration from cultural shifts, her designs fuse past experiences with contemporary aesthetics, creating objects that evoke nostalgia and familiarity. She earned her bachelor’s in graphic design and her master’s in design studies from VCUarts Qatar. Her work invites viewers to reflect on the connection between personal spaces and the changing world around them.
AMEENA AL-BUAINAIN
B. 1996
Ameena Al-Buainain is a Qatari artist based in Doha, known for painting and printmaking. Her work has been featured at Alhosh Gallery and The Gallery at VCUarts Qatar in 2020. Al-Buainain holds a bachelor’s degree in painting and printmaking (minor in art history) from VCUarts Qatar. Her practice reflects her commitment to exploring and expanding her artistic voice.
BOUTHAYNA AL-MUFTAH
B. 1987
Bouthayna Al-Muftah, a Qatari multidisciplinary artist, navigates painting, printmaking, and documentation. Her evolving practice has created immersive installations and dynamic performance pieces anchored in Qatar’s cultural heritage. Al-Muftah received her bachelor’s degree from VCUarts Qatar in 2009. She has designed the official FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 poster and exhibited internationally, including M7, Palais de Tokyo, and Cosmoscow.
FATMA AL-REMAIHI
B. 1986
Fatma Al-Remaihi is a Qatari artist working in sketchbooking, drawing, and painting. She holds a master’s in studio art from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (2016) and a bachelor’s in graphic design from VCUarts Qatar (2010). Her work explores identity, agency, and the multiple roles she navigates in life.
FATIMA MOHAMMED
B. 1993
Fatima Mohammed is a contemporary Qatari artist working in mixed media, printmaking, and installation art. She graduated from VCUarts Qatar with a bachelor’s in painting and printmaking with a minor in art history (2016). Mohammed has participated in residencies at Fire Station Doha and ISCP New York, with exhibitions locally and internationally.
GHADA AL-KHATER
B. 1989
Ghada Al-Khater is a Qatari multidisciplinary artist whose work blends art, politics, and social issues through cartoons, illustrations, and sculptures. She has exhibited at Ajyal Film Festival, Doha Fire Station, QM Gallery – Al Riwaq, Art 29, and internationally. She was an artist in residence at Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris (2018), and received the Artist of the Year Award at the 2018 Grazia Editors’ Choice Awards.
MANAR AL-MUFTAH
B. 1985
Manar Al-Muftah is a Qatari visual artist and graphic designer whose work explores identity, memory, and Qatar’s cultural landscape. She earned a bachelor’s degree in graphic design from VCUarts Qatar (2007). Her work incorporates Arabic calligraphy through printmaking, collage, and mixed media, with exhibitions locally and internationally.
MARYAM AL-HOMAID
B. 1988
Maryam Al-Homaid is a Qatari interdisciplinary artist and Assistant Professor in the Graphic Design Department at VCUarts Qatar. She holds a bachelor’s in graphic design and a master’s in design studies from VCUarts Qatar. Her work examines Qatar’s social and economic transformation and has been exhibited internationally, merging digital design with handcrafted textiles.
RODA AL THANI
B. 1991
Roda Al Thani is a visual artist based in Doha, Qatar, and a producer at Qatar Museums, leading the animated series Hazawy. She is a graphic design graduate from VCUarts Qatar and holds a master’s in visual narrative from the School of Visual Arts in New York. Her work engages audiences locally and globally.
SHOUQ AL-MANA
B. 1996
Shouq Al-Mana is a contemporary Qatari artist who holds a bachelor’s degree in painting and printmaking from VCUarts Qatar. Her work spans painting, sculpture, and installation, exploring culture, unity, and identity. She has represented Qatar internationally with Generation Amazing Foundation projects, public sculptures, sustainability campaigns, and conferences.
AMNA AL-DARWISH
Amna Al-Darwish is a Fine Art graduate from VCUarts Qatar, specializing in Interior Design. She explores painting and contemporary art through various mediums, capturing her personal connections to her surroundings, and aims to inspire appreciation for the world.

VCUarts Qatar at La Biennale di Venezia 2026
2026-06-01 - 2026-11-22
VCUarts Qatar is proud to present أغرب إدراك | Aghrab Idrāk: Thresholds of Perception, an official Collateral Event of the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia (May 9–November 22, 2026), on view from June 1, 2026 at Palazzo Cavanis at the Zattere in Venice.
Bringing together projects from ten research labs within the Institute for Creative Research, the exhibition invites visitors to explore perception as a relational and situated way of knowing. Through environments shaped by light, sound, movement, and material presence, visitors move through a sequence of spatial thresholds where meaning emerges through experience, proximity, and dialogue.
The works offer a unique reflection of the Gulf region’s histories of exchange, mobility, and layered cultural memory, while highlighting the collective, research-driven practices that shape creative inquiry at VCUarts Qatar.
An inaugural event will take place on June 22 from 6–8 p.m.
The program will also include the symposium, Relational Ecologies: Perception, Mobility, and Collective Form, taking place June 23–24, 2026, a gathering of creative minds that extends the exhibition’s themes through conversations on how artistic research generates knowledge through connection, exchange, and collective practice.

أغرب إدراك | Aghrab Idrāk: Thresholds of Perception
Exhibition: June 1–November 22, 2026
Opening Hours:
Tuesday–Sunday: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Mondays: Closed, except June 1, June 22, Sept. 7 and Nov. 16
Inaugural event: June 22, 6–8 p.m.
Location: Palazzo Cavanis at the Zattere

Relational Ecologies: Perception, Mobility, and Collective Form Symposium
June 23–24, 2026
June 23
1–4 p.m.
Biennale Sessions, Arsenale Educational Space, Venice
June 24
10 a.m.–4 p.m.
The Home of The Human Safety Net, Venice
