Art Class at Qatar National Library Explores Historical Photos of Qatar

Qatar National Library presented a community art class, “Draw a Photo from Qatar’s History”, on 6 July. Participants had the opportunity to develop their artistic skills under the guidance of Qatari artist, Fahad Almaadheed, by drawing their own versions of images from the nation’s past.

Maryam Al-Mutawa, Information Services Librarian at the Library, introduced the Qatar Photographic Collection held at the Heritage Library, which depicts Qatar’s past, and provided the historical photos to the art class.

Under the instruction of Almaadheed, participants captured the images on canvas. Many of the photos featured native animals such as falcons and camels, which have always formed part of Qatar’s daily life, in keeping with the Library’s focus on the world of animals during the month of July.

“The event was very engaging and educational to me and the other participants. Today I learned about the Library’s historical photography collection, which can be used by anyone interested in studying the visual history of Qatar. I plan to spend more time at the Library in the near future to review these images and learn all I can from them,” said Maryam Ahmadi, a participant at the event.

Another participant at the event, Mahmoud Ali, said: “I am delighted that the Library is organizing these events for everyone. They give us students a good opportunity to remain engaged in extracurricular activities outside schools during the summer vacation. Because I have a strong interest in drawing as an art, I found today’s event very useful.”