Ektashif Uzbekistan: About the Artists
The Qatari artists featured in Ektashif: Uzbekistan present works inspired by their exploration of Uzbekistan’s rich Islamic heritage, traditional arts, and distinctive architecture.
Leena AlAali is a Qatari artist and writer of children's and young adult literature. Drawing inspiration from Qatar’s traditional environment, she integrates its visual elements with Islamic and heritage-inspired motifs through a contemporary artistic lens. Her work focuses on portraying women as symbols of memory, identity, and strength, using a calm and refined visual language that balances authenticity with innovation. Lina has participated in local and international exhibitions and has contributed to artistic and cultural initiatives aimed at strengthening national identity and inspiring future generations.
Maryam Abel
Maryam Abel‘s creative journey naturally evolved into photography. Since childhood, she has been captivated by photographs, especially those centred around people. Faces, stories, and the unspoken language of human emotion have always drawn her in. For Maryam, photography, is not just about seeing—it’s about deeply connecting. Each frame is a reflection of her love for people and the cultures they embody.
Hameed Al Qahtani
Hameed Al Qahtani is a Qatari ceramic artist and mechanical engineer whose work explores the relationship between material, process, and cultural context. His practice draws on traditional craft and contemporary design, viewing ceramics as both functional objects and cultural expressions.
Abdulla Fakhroo
Abdulla Fakhroo is a Qatari visual artist and calligrapher with over 25 years of experience. Founder of Midad, a luxury jewellery brand, and Bayt Al-Khattateen, his practice explores the intersection of architecture, geometry, and script—particularly Kufic styles—reimagining tradition through a contemporary visual language.
Ameena
Ameena is a multidisciplinary artist whose work centres on installations that explore diverse materials and techniques. Inspired by her heritage and the world around her, she creates pieces that reflect both personal and cultural narratives. Through experimentation and material exploration, she aims to build immersive experiences that connect memory, place, and identity, inviting viewers to engage with the stories embedded in their surroundings.
Noora
Noora is a multidisciplinary artist whose work fuses engineering precision with creative audacity. With degrees in mechanical and manufacturing engineering, and a Master of Science in Infrastructure and Project Management, she brings an unconventional edge to her practice. Her work interrogates heritage, science, and artificial intelligence (AI) through digital fabrication and AI-assisted design. She creates work that doesn't simply reflect the past but reactivates it, building a charged dialogue between tradition and transformation.
Aisha Al Muhannadi
Aisha Al Muhannadi is a Qatari visual artist and the founder and director of Mahara for Creativity and Arts. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Planning and Development Policy from Qatar University (QU). Her artistic practice draws inspiration from Qatari heritage and the local environment, exploring themes of identity, memory, and belonging through a contemporary visual language that bridges tradition and innovation. She has participated in many local and international exhibitions, presenting works that reflect the richness of Qatari culture and examine the relationship between people, place, and heritage. She believes that art is a powerful means of preserving cultural memory and building connections between heritage and the future.