17 Apr 2018 – 1:09
The Peninsula
DOHA: Artist Um Abdullah Al Khulaifi has turned eggs into beautiful works of art showcased at the Dazzling Egg Exhibition which opened recently at Katara Cultural Village.
The exhibition features different types of eggs embellished using a variety of mediums and styles the artist has mastered in her years of experience honing her skill in the craft was sparked after watching a TV show when she was 10 years old.
The show aired in an English channel featured a foreign artist painting on eggs which she tried to imitate and later practice this art seriously with much love and creativity.
“I started this craft in 1990 and my first exhibition was held in 1993 at the Sheraton Hotel. This exhibition achieved a great success but also encountered difficulties, such as sourcing the necessary materials from overseas that prevented me to practise this art for many years despite encouragement from my relatives,” she recalls.
“This craft requires great skill and precision so in order not to fracture the eggs. I utilise more than one kind of egg, such as such as ostrich, emu, and goose and turkey eggs. The emu egg, for instance, has a hard shell that requires more efforts and time to complete an artwork on it,” she explains.
While the exhibition displays a plethora of designs, her Tamim Al Majd artworks are some of the highlights of her solo show.
“Because of the blockade, I felt strongly that I needed to express my loyalty to my country, especially when I saw many creative contributions of other artists, so I decided to dazzle the image of Tamim Al Majd by the artist Ahmed Maadheed on the ostrich eggs as well as other works until I accomplished a large number of designs.Then, I found the opportunity to present my artworks here in Katara,” she said.
The exhibition was officially launched by Ahmed Abdulrahman Al Sayyed, Katara’s Deputy General Manager of Operations, with representatives from the Ministry of Culture and Sport, media and the art community.
The show runs until April 30 at Katara Art Studios, Building 19.
