Manar Al Muftah

Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar - VCUQ Po Box 8095 Doha Qatar (city map) Send E-mail tel +974 - 492 72 45 www.qatar.vcu.edu

Immediate Release: The Gallery at VCUQatar Presents Manar Al Muftah

Doha, Qatar - The Gallery at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar is very pleased to present the work of Manar al-Muftah as part of the annual series Qatar Now at the opening reception on Wednesday, September 3 at 7:30PM. The Qatar Now series features the work of emerging and established Qatari artists and designers. A graphic designer by profession, Manar al-Muftah is also a graduate of VCUQatar. It is the first time that The Gallery is featuring the work of an alumna in a solo exhibition at The Gallery. The exhibition will continue through October 4, 2008.

Arabic calligraphy is deeply rooted in Manar's repository of memories. She recalls learning the Arabic alphabet as a child. "It was more than a mere collection of letters. The curviness and the smoothness of the many letters together wove a story in my mind: 'ra' was a girl's braid, and 'lam' was my father's fishing hook."

Native Arabic speakers rarely pay attention to the Arabic alphabet because they have spoken and written in Arabic all their lives, "we never examine the forms and shapes of those letters," says Manar. "Today, my own perception of letters has changed tremendously. I don't see letters as figures anymore. Three years ago, I never thought about the letter 'nun'; today, 'nun' is more than a letter. It is a crescent, a bowl of sadness, a bag of flour, and my lucky talisman! Each letter has its own story and each has an identity."

Both native Arabic readers and non-readers will typically see the letters joined to form words. Very seldom are the separate letters shown individually. When we see "fa" by itself, it helps our eyes to move freely from the dot to the body forming an image in the mind. One might see a boat, while the others a lucky charm! Each letter is unique and has a visual impact. Manar says, "I try to give each letter the value it deserves, and expose it to the contemporary world. My artwork is very intimate. Each piece is part of me. Each is a precious memory of my childhood."

Manar's sister Aisha Al-Muftah points out, "it is the juxtaposition of the expected clear-cut clean appearance of what we conceive as graphic design with the rough, unpredictable, multi textured appearance of the works, which strikes [the] viewers. While graphic work is usually machine printed, here the letters are hand printed and interwoven with hand collaged elements."

Manar Al Muftah - Qatar Now Press Release as pdf-File 117 KB

Manar Al Muftah - Qatar Now Press Release as pdf-File 132 KB in Arabic language

The Gallery at VCUQatar in Education City is open to the public on Sunday through Thursday from 10:00AM to 4:00PM.

Contact: Moamer Qazafi Office: +974 492 7277
Email: MQAZAFI@QATAR.VCU.EDU

About Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar:
Established in the US in 1838 and in Qatar in 1998 Virginia Commonwealth University offers students from all over the world the opportunity to earn Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in fashion, graphic and interior design. A team of highly skilled professors provide rigorous curricula that prepare students to assume leadership roles in the professional design field of their choice. VCUQatar regularly organizes and hosts exhibitions, gallery events, world-class conferences and holds an annual fashion show. VCUQatar is supported and funded by the Qatar Foundation. For more information please visit www.qatar.vcu.edu or call +974 492 7245.

About Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development
Founded in 1995 by His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, and chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al Missned, Qatar Foundation is a private, non-profit organization committed to the principle that a nation's greatest natural resource is its people. The headquarters of Qatar Foundation are located within its flagship project, Education City, a fourteen million square-meter campus which hosts numerous progressive learning institutions and centers of research, including branch campuses of six of the world's leading universities, plus a cutting-edge research and development center. Qatar Foundation also works to enhance the quality of life in Qatar by investing in community health and development.

For more information please visit: www.qf.org.qa