Take a look at Qatar’s literary scene through a creative lens

euronews (in English)

Get lost in a library of rare books from as early as the 15th century and follow the elegant brushstrokes of Arabic calligraphy with an abstract twist.

Transcript

00:00Two of the oldest books from our collection,

00:04they show the influence of the Islamic world of science

00:08and astronomy to the western world

00:10and why these books are so important.

00:12This is the main recipe of creating a cartoon.

00:16Keep it simple, keep it direct and keep it funny.

00:19Hello and welcome to Kata 365 with me, Laila Humaira.

00:26On this episode, we are looking at literature

00:28through a creative lens, going beyond the pages of a book

00:32and exploring how a story can be told through art,

00:36whether it's the elegant brushstrokes of calligraphy

00:39or the striking colours of a mural.

00:41But first, I'm here at the Museum of Islamic Art

00:44to visit a library that's home to one of the biggest collections

00:47of books on Arab art and culture in the region.

00:52Beyond the rich collection of historical objects on display,

00:56the Museum of Islamic Art is also a beacon of learning.

01:01The Mia Library occupies a large section of the museum,

01:05a welcoming space for people of all ages.

01:08While the books can't actually be borrowed,

01:11Susan Pakalivi, who's the head of the Mia Library,

01:14says its extensive collection is worth making a few visits.

01:18It's one of the biggest collections of books

01:21about Islamic art.

01:23We have 25,000 titles and we have around 70,000 volumes.

01:27It's definitely very specialist in Islamic art

01:29and something that any scholar interested in the subject

01:32should come and visit us.

01:34Most of the books are easy to find,

01:36but the library's best-kept secret is hidden in plain sight.

01:41Deep in the vaults of the museum is a room full of ancient texts.

01:46One of the highlights of the Mia Library

01:50is a collection of rare books,

01:52a treasure trove of more than 5,000 old manuscripts and diaries

01:56dating as far back as the 15th century.

01:59Written in Arabic, Latin, French and Persian,

02:02the books cover a wide range of topics,

02:05from astronomy to geography, history to religion,

02:09and autobiographies detailing the voyages of early explorers.

02:14So here I've selected two of the oldest books from our collection.

02:17One of them is in Arabic and Latin

02:19and the other one is just in Latin.

02:21And the thing that these two both have in common

02:23is they show the influence of the Islamic world of science

02:27and astronomy to the Western world.

02:29So the first one is a book in Latin,

02:32which is from the time of the printing press in Incantabula,

02:35and it has very beautiful illustrations

02:37as well as the text that you can see.

02:39And then the Arabic book here is on philosophy and also on science.

02:43Bound together by animal skin,

02:45the Lebanese scholar known in Europe as Abraham Echolenesis

02:49published this book in 1641.

02:52Meanwhile, the Introductorium in Astronomium,

02:56printed in 1489,

02:58played a pivotal role in spreading

03:00Islamic astrological knowledge to medieval Europe.

03:03The Arabs were really ahead of the time on this

03:06and you see through the book there's very beautiful illustrations

03:09and it's just a very beautiful typeset as well.

03:12These books may be rare and old,

03:14but the library also recognizes

03:16the subtle difference between a rare copy

03:19and an antiquarian book.

03:21Rare books don't necessarily have to be about the date.

03:25So a rare book can be something that it's rare

03:28because it's a limited edition,

03:30there's only a certain number that have been produced

03:32because of the provenance.

03:34Sometimes it's like something can be so specific and so rare

03:38that it's a different thing than the age of it.

03:41Rare or antiquarian,

03:43the library is committed to preserving the books

03:46to keep them in the best condition.

03:48One way to make the texts timeless and accessible

03:51is to digitize them.

03:53The digitization efforts reflect

03:55the library's approach to technology,

03:57choosing to embrace changing trends.

04:00We have e-books, we have libguides,

04:02we have online resources.

04:03Anyone in the world can kind of tap in

04:05and see our digitized versions

04:07of some of the things in the rare book room

04:09and also the e-books that we have.

04:11So, you know, I really don't think

04:13that technology is a problem.

04:15It's really something that's actually an advantage.

04:20Well, cultural identity and heritage

04:22can also be preserved through public art,

04:25illustrations and sculptures,

04:27like this mural behind me called Family Reunion,

04:30a masterpiece by the award-winning Qatari artist

04:33Abdul Aziz Yusuf.

04:35After years of working as a cartoonist,

04:38Abdul Aziz has taken his talent to the streets

04:41and I got a chance to meet him

04:43to find out how he creates modern art

04:45based on Qatari traditions.

04:53Firstly, let's go back to the beginning.

04:55How and when did you get into art?

04:58Since ever, I can't remember.

05:00I was the kid that draws all the time in the classroom.

05:03But the actual beginning was in 2007.

05:06There was an opportunity in a local newspaper

05:09for artists to publish daily cartoons.

05:12And I said, okay, yeah, it's my turn to try this field.

05:17I was so happy with the 3,000 riyals a month.

05:21This is what motivated me to become a professional.

05:24Now, the art of cartooning can be seen

05:26as a powerful tool of communication.

05:28Cartoonists can say a lot

05:30with little or sometimes no words at all.

05:33So how can you tell a story

05:35or send a message through cartoons?

05:38No, it's simple.

05:40It's like an abstract form to tell one thing.

05:45So you just have to focus on one thing

05:48so you don't confuse people.

05:50And that one thing has to be

05:52the most powerful piece in your message.

05:55This is the main recipe of creating a cartoon.

05:58Keep it simple, keep it direct, and keep it funny.

06:01Over the years, you've developed your own distinct style.

06:04How did you find it?

06:06I tried to find shortcuts

06:08where I don't draw the fundamentals of drawing a face

06:12or follow a successful guide to create a character design.

06:18So there is a heritage of abstracting the faces

06:22and creating shapes and so on.

06:24And I just took the gist of it

06:26and applied it in my own word

06:28using my cartoon drawing tool.

06:30Pursuing identity as much as

06:32trying to be as realistic as possible

06:35to be honest and reflecting what you see.

06:38And you're also very involved

06:40in nurturing or shaping

06:42the future generation of Qatari artists.

06:44How do you inject a sense of creativity and wonder

06:47when you're guiding them?

06:49I think giving back to the community

06:52is a tool to fuel your ability

06:55to sustain a level.

06:58So working with the new generation

07:01and trying to boost the best that they have

07:06and then give them the compliments necessary

07:09to start a beautiful journey

07:12is very important for me

07:14to reflect what I have received from people too.

07:22While Abdul Aziz is inspired by people and nature

07:25other artists in Qatar

07:27draw inspiration from letters and words.

07:30Joanna Hu's met two innovators

07:32in the field of calligraphy

07:34whose fresh take on the millennia-old art of writing

07:37inspires younger generations

07:39and makes the traditional craft

07:41fit for the 21st century.

07:45Sabah Arbili creates traditional calligraphy

07:48but with a modern twist.

07:50Whether it's steel sculptures or abstract canvases

07:53the Iraqi-born artist has a unique style

07:56and blends the old with the new.

07:58As a classic calligrapher

08:00in the beginning it's just like singing

08:03you're imitating sounds

08:05you try to learn the style

08:07and when I did all this I realised

08:10no, I have to take it further

08:12to create my own take into the art of calligraphy

08:15adding the twist of modern into the Arabic calligraphy

08:18that was my aim.

08:20Based in the UK but spending much of his time in Qatar

08:23Sabah has left his mark on Doha's skyline.

08:26This 7.5m tall sculpture

08:28is a contemporary interpretation

08:30of the words of an old poem

08:32by Qatar's founding father

08:34Sheikh Jasim bin Mohammed Al Thani

08:36which Sabah specifically designed

08:38for the country's national day.

08:40Towering over the Corniche

08:42it's become an iconic landmark

08:44that merges abstraction with traditional penmanship.

08:46You're overwhelmed by the amount of people

08:48coming by the sculpture

08:50looking at it without understanding anything about it

08:52they couldn't even read it

08:54but they were managing to get their phone out

08:56and take a photo with it

08:58as they're celebrating the art of calligraphy

09:00slash modern with me

09:02and with everybody else

09:04I was super excited about it.

09:06Beyond just a job

09:08Sabah sees calligraphy as a passion

09:10he hopes that by exhibiting internationally

09:12he will introduce art enthusiasts

09:14all over the world

09:16to an old craft that they might not be familiar with.

09:18So in a lot of cultures

09:20I had an exhibition in Washington two years ago

09:22you know the audience they had

09:24absolutely no clue about

09:26why all this mess in my art

09:28but I said it's not a mess

09:30it is an interpretation of the text

09:32but it's twisted

09:34into a modern conceptual meaning

09:36so then they felt

09:38related to the artwork.

09:40Abdul Karim is another Doha based

09:42creative who captivates audiences

09:44by adding a modern touch

09:46to the ancient art of writing.

09:48His distinctive style known as calligraphy

09:50put him in the international

09:52spotlight. In 2022

09:54his work caught the eye of

09:56Football Federation FIFA

09:58who appointed him as one of the official street artists

10:00for the World Cup in Qatar.

10:02Since then public art has played

10:04a big role in his success.

10:06Whenever we go to the public

10:08it's kind of you're bringing the art

10:10to people

10:12not the people come to the art

10:14so for me

10:17it's my responsibility

10:19make a bridge in between

10:21the art should refresh

10:23not a sentimental

10:25Abdul uses non-traditional painting methods

10:27and he draws on some

10:29unusual surfaces

10:31the most impressive of them all

10:33is a canvas you can't actually see

10:35swapping his paintbrush for his lightsaber

10:37the style is called light calligraphy

10:39blink and you might miss it

10:41because you're a calligraphy artist

10:43you know so you know

10:45but you have to know

10:47you know

10:49the word like there's no canvas

10:51it's over there

10:53so you have to know

10:55the moment you know

10:57you have to memorize your moment

10:59While art is subjective and preferences are personal

11:01Abdul says pushing creative

11:03boundaries is part and parcel of

11:05innovation

11:07they are criticizing the modern art

11:09contemporary art because

11:11the traditional calligraphy

11:13is rule-bound

11:15we have to respect that

11:17because we all learned traditional art

11:19then we move to the contemporary

11:21because we have to blend it

11:23so in terms of the criticism

11:25if you are not ready to face

11:27the criticism

11:29the art will not grow

11:31It's clear

11:33that even as Qatar thrives in the modern world

11:35and encourages creative minds

11:37to bring life to its public spaces

11:39the country is also

11:41committed to preserving and showcasing

11:43its story of origin

11:45we hope you've enjoyed this episode

11:47but that's all the time we have for now

11:49for more check out euronews.com

11:51and connect with us through our hashtag

11:53thanks for watching

11:55and we'll see you next time on

11:57Qatar 365

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