Samah Bahajri
A self-taught artist who uses art to detangle her thoughts and make sense of the world around her, Samah works with fabric, thread, paper, clay, gold leaf and mosaics to create fluid works that are pleasing to the eye. “I choose mediums that are malleable and delicate,” she says. “I break a medium apart and put it back together. I push it to be adaptive the same way a human has to adapt to its circumstances. I work in a repetitive manner to reconcile the opposites, mend the broken and hand you my version of the truth.”
Currently on sale at Saatchi Art, Spread Light is crafted from hand-dyed cotton fabric and cotton embroidery thread, and inspired by Samah’s dedication to speaking up. “Fight back, don't remain silent, light up the space with truth and fairness, honour the light of God within you. Speak up and spread light,” she says.
Surabhi Gaikwad
Inspired by the rich heritage, art and architecture of her home country of India, Doha-based artist Surabhi works with oil on canvas to create rich and colourful pieces that were made to be noticed. Long periods of sequestering due to lockdowns caused her to turn her attention to flora and fauna, which she portrays through her bold painting, Me and My Plants V. “This painting depicts all my loves: plants, fashion and bright and bold colours,” she says. “I wanted to do a series showing women enjoying their quiet time in the midst of nature. My recent obsession with painting green plants juxtaposed with the human form is an antidote to the feeling of helplessness I endured due to enforced isolation and distance from green spaces.”
Interestingly, Surabhi may potentially be the first female artist from Qatar to have her art on the moon — Me and My Plants V has been selected for the Lunar codex, a NASA programme which launches creative works to the moon in four time capsules.
Huma Iftikhar
A Dubai-based artist of Pakistani origin raised in Saudi Arabia, Huma’s deep connection with diverse cultures embeds richly in her works. Confabulation, for example, which consists of paper-cut drawings layered together in acrylic sheets that give the artwork its three- dimensional characteristics, is made up of patterns from Islamic geometry with a black cube showing through the pattern, pointing to the strong Middle Eastern belief systems that the artist grew up in. Also known for manifesting creatures like birds and bees, you’ll find them portrayed as spiritual forms evolving into enlightened beings by losing their physical features and attributes.
Amira Radhi
Born in Bahrain but now based in Doha, multidisciplinary artist Amira is passionate about revealing her personal experiences as a cross-cultural woman living in what she calls a complicated region. Working in mixed mediums and forms including photography, film, installations and paintings, she provokes various dialogues by delivering bold, sensitive topics from an anthropological or geopolitical scoop within her region. Currently on sale at Saatchi Art, Tranquility is a charcoal on paper one-of-a-kind piece created back in 2019.
“During that time my artworks reflected my emotional status and the process of self-healing,” she says. “Most of my drawings were self portraits. I rely on my subconscious whenever I work, freeing my mind and drawing whatever I feel.” Shop the artworks here
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