Munira Al-Meer

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

VCUQatar is hosting an exhibition entitled 'Qatar Now - Ceramics from the Workshop of Munira Al-Meer'. The exhibition will be on display from Aug 30-September 27, 2007.

Munira Al-Meer is a pioneer in the field of ceramics. After completing her studies in Qatar at undergraduate level, she was the first Qatari citizen to win a scholarship in the United States in to study ceramics. She returned to Qatar with a Masters of Fine Art in Ceramic Design from the University of Kansas.

Munira's has developed new sculptural forms with an organic nuance and go beyond the traditional forms she had been taught in Qatari art programs. While studying in America she developed this interest further and also discovered how different types of glazes can interact with the forms she is creating.

As a lecturer on ceramics at Qatar University, Munira has worked to create unique forms largely independent of historic references and influence. Her work is inspired by a reverence for God and the desire to adhere to his guidance. In this respect, her sculptural pieces look both outward and inward, even to the molecular level, to discover and speak to the divine creative force.

"Munira is now at the forefront of art education in this country and is one of its major artistic innovators. The exhibition 'Qatar Now - Ceramics from the Workshop of Munira Al-Meer' shows a selection of 23 highlights from the artist's past and recent works, many of which are characterized by the combination of intense organic shapes with experimental glazes. Some of these also show the influence of Arabic calligraphy on her work" said Jochen Sokoly VCUQ Gallery Director and Assistant Professor in Art History.

This exhibition has been envisaged to be the first in a series of exhibitions highlighting the work of emerging Qatari artists that have an important impact on artistic creativity in Qatar. The practical aspects of making ceramics are emphasized in the exhibition.

"The creations are not only stunning as finished ceramic sculptures, but they are a tour de force of skill in both the shaping of the clay and the application of different glazes. For this reason, selections of her preparatory studies are also a part of the exhibition." added Jochen Sokoly.