Shua'a Ali
Qatar

"The more acceptance that comes from society, the more people see that it's ok."

Shua’a Ali from Doha, Qatar has long been inspired by the work of abstract expressionist masters such as Franz Kline and Joan Mitchell. Her cultural identity coupled with her time living around the world has afforded Shua’a a hybrid of European post-war expressionism infused with Arab heritage references in her subject matter. This self-taught artist’s curiosity of a textured color palette to visualize imaginary places as well as her own personal experiences makes for an array of work that is striking and palpable in emotion and form. Shua’a Ali is an artist whose work is recognized for its signature expressive stoke.

Shua’a graduated from the Richmond University of London in 1997 with a degree in Computer Science. She currently lives in Doha, Qatar where she is pursuing her work in a quest to form a heightened connection with her canvas - enabling a space where she can recall the past, analyze the present, and imagine the future. Shua’a’s works have been exhibited both locally and internationally including ‘Femnisim is a Voice’ in Doha’s Art29 space and La Galleria Pall Mall at the Royal Opera Arcade in London.

Credentials

Solo exhibitions
Group exhibitions
Private collections
Works on commission
Public Art Installations

Artist Statement

I am lucky to have seen the world from a very young age. Somalia, Iraq, Austria, Tunisia and London are all cities and countries that I am proud to have called home. My experiences in each of these places has not only shaped my world-view, but has also heavily influenced my artistic style. Creating my paintings has always been a kind of healing process for me - one in which I could reach a state of tranquility and dissolve all of creative expressions on to the canvas. As time went on, I realized the importance of also using creative discourse to challenge a status quo - particularly in regards to the ordeals of women and their identity in my world. Which is why in my current collection, my focus has shifted into conveying the complex and striking beauty of women and capturing moments of emotional honesty, while highlighting their boldness and strengths through energetic and explosive brushstrokes and colors. Furthermore, the prominent overlapping of different layers and strokes of paint in my recent work accentuates the concept of the little fragments and experiences in life and how they build a bigger picture of one’s identity and glimpses of life an personal matter.

Series Statement

The "Al Ain" series is an extension of my "Faces" series that I have been developing for a long time. I connect with this specific Arabic letter as it’s been a large part of my identity. Being one of the few Arabic letters that’s usually mispronounced due to its complexity, I have grown to form an appreciation for it as it’s one of the main pillars of the Arabic alphabet that distinguishes the language and defines its uniqueness.
The meaning of the word "Al Ain" in arabic, is "the eye", which coincides to be the most expressive feature of a person's face and can therefore be a language of its own.

Solo Exhibitions

2020 'Rocks and Bricks', Eiwan Al Gassar, Doha, Qatar
2019 Studio D, Doha, Qatar

Group Exhibitions

2022 FROMM Collaboration, Milan Design Week, Milan, Italy
2022 'Education Above All', Al Hosh Gallery, Al Bidda Park, Doha, Qatar
2021 'Circles', Katara Cultural Village, Doha, Qatar
2021 'Art in Mind', The Brick Lane Gallery, London, UK
2020 'Generations', Eiwan Al Gassar, Doha, Qatar
2020 'In Downtown', Al Hosh Art Gallery, Doha Qatar
2019 Pallas Arts, Katara, 1st Global Art Fair, Doha, Qatar
2019 'The Colours of Desert', Katara, Doha, Qatar
2019 La Galleria Pall Mall, 'Summer Exhibition', Royal Opera Arcade, London , UK
2019 CONTEMPORARY ART STATION, Barcelona, Spain
2019 '50x50', Al Markhiya Gallery, Katara Art Center , Doha, Qatar
2018 'Feminism is a voice', ART29 Gallery, W Hotel, Doha, Qatar
2018 La Galleria Pall Mall, 'Summer Exhibition', Royal Opera Arcade, London , UK.
2017 'International Women’s Day', Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar

Public Art

2023 'Sayyidah Al Hurra', Public Art Sculpture, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
2022 'Milestones', Public Art Sculpture, Financial District, Doha, Qatar
2022 'Tawazun', Public Art Sculpture, Musheireb, Doha, Qatar

Shua'a Ali Qatar

"The more acceptance that comes from society, the more people see that it's ok."

Shua'a Ali
Qatar