By Manal Abdel Fattah
Today, Sunday, the Al-Hanager Arts Center at the Cairo Opera House will host an exhibition entitled “Swalif” by the Qatari visual artist Wafiqa Sultan Al-Issa, during the period from (18-23) February 2024.
The exhibition, which was organized under the auspices of the Qatari Embassy in Cairo, represents an exceptional artistic experience that highlights the Qatari identity and Gulf heritage through creative works inspired by the environment and the Qatari cultural heritage with all its details and atmosphere related to heritage, customs and popular traditions.
During the opening ceremony, Qatar’s Ambassador to Cairo, Tariq Al-Ansari, said: The purpose of the exhibition is to use art to communicate among everyone, pointing out that there is a common culture between Egypt and Qatar, such as the desert, old houses, and the sea.
He explained that the artist Wafiqa Al-Issa is not a stranger to Egypt, especially since her husband is Egyptian and she has a daughter named Sinai because she was born on the day of the liberation of Sinai.
The ambassador thanked the Egyptian Opera House, the attending ambassadors, the media, and the embassy members.
For her part, artist Wafiqa Al-Issa thanked the Qatari ambassador and the attendees, stressing that she worked on this exhibition in stages.
She said: I loved art from the country of art, Egypt, because I am a graduate of the Misr University of Applied Arts, but my paintings belong to my country and my Gulf environment.
The opening of the exhibition was attended by: Ambassador of Jordan Amjad Al-Adaileh, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman Abdullah Nasser Al-Rahbi, Ambassador of the Philippines Izz al-Din Tagoo, Ambassador of Tunisia Muhammad bin Youssef, Ambassador of Yemen Khaled Bahah, Ambassador of Malta Roberto Bassi, Zahi Hawass, former Minister of Antiquities, and media personality Suhair Shalaby. Artist Elham Shaheen.
Wafiqa Al-Issa is considered one of the pioneers of the fine arts movement in Qatar. She holds a bachelor’s degree in applied arts from Cairo University. She is one of the first females in the country to study and practice art professionally and is a founding member of the Qatar Fine Arts Society. She previously held positions in the production department at TV. Qatar.
Her works are distinguished by her persistent search for the Qatari identity in the Gulf heritage and her inspiration from the cultural heritage. Her paintings also reflect the relationship of the Qatari person with his heritage, in addition to her use of Islamic decorative arts and the aesthetics of the Arabic letter. Her works have previously been exhibited internationally in Kuwait, London, Paris and Tunisia.
