The Late Sheikh Hamad bin Abdulla bin Jassim (1973)
By Raynald C Rivera
In the Qatari art community, the name Jassim Zaini is synonymous with artistic excellence, and for the country as a whole, his legacy is a source of inspiration for the current and future generations.
Zaini was one of the few Qatari artists to witness the country’s development from humble beginnings, and along with his contemporaries he documented the social and economic transformation of Qatar during the fifties and the sixties after the discovery of oil.
Aside from his stature as one of the founding fathers of the local contemporary art movement, Zaini was the first elected president of the Qatar Fine Arts Society.
Throughout the five decades of his career, the late artist captured on canvas key moments in the country’s recent history, and the unique facets of its people and culture. For this, he has been honoured with one of the halls at the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage being named after him yesterday.
“I’m happy that this hall was named after my father. I will be able to hear my father’s name for a long time,” Dr Mohammed bin Jassim Zaini told The Peninsula after the inauguration of the Jassim bin Mohammed Zaini Hall.
He said he felt honoured that the hall was named in memory of his father, which, he added, would foster creativity and benefit other artists.
“I don’t think this is just for my father. This is for all artists and those associated with arts and culture. I hope this would be a good venue to produce beautiful works of art which many people will enjoy for generations to come,” he said.
Having created a huge body of art, Zaini was considered one of the most prolific artists in Qatar. Some of his paintings have been documented in a 100-page coffee table book.
“I don’t have an idea how many paintings my father created during his lifetime. In fact, I haven’t seen some of those published in this book,” Dr Mohammed said, adding that all the paintings undeniably bore the mark of his father’s unique style.
Looking closely at Jassim Zaini’s works, one can discern a lot of sensibility and feel a sense of mystery in the lines and choice of colours.
Though he exhibits versatility in media and technique, there is a distinct mark of the artist in each of the paintings, which all feature the use of colour to evoke the feelings and emotions the artist wanted to convey.
And though his son does not possess Jassim Zaini’s exceptional artistic flair, he has inherited his father’s heart for art.
“I think everyone has an artist in his heart. Art is feeling, and any type of feeling is art. If you are able to feel, that means you are an artist; something you may not show in painting or even writing,” said Dr Mohammed.
While some of Zaini’s original works of art are displayed in the hall, some others are part of museum collections. Dr Mohammed, who has 145 paintings by his father in his personal collection, said he was still surprised to discover paintings by his father which he had never seen before.
H E Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari, the Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage, who knew Zaini personally, said the passing of the painter had left a void in Qatar’s art scene, but his huge volume of work would remain a beacon for artists and art enthusiasts.
“We are here to honour one of Qatar’s great names. He left us, but his work will stay with us. He will remain influential with the quality and diversity of his works, from which the current and coming generations will benefit,” he said at the opening of the hall.
Dr Al Kuwari expressed admiration for Zaini’s dedication to the Qatari art movement and his lifelong devotion to creating paintings that reflected Qatar’s development, particularly the socio-cultural aspect of it.
“Our life in Qatar is linked to the land and the sea and our culture is based on these two factors, and this man reflected them very clearly in his paintings. Also, he spent a lot of his time immortalizing Qatar’s famous men, especially poets and writers, and their portraits, which tell of specific periods in our history, have now become an essential part of our cultural heritage,” the minister said.
Dr Al Kuwari was referring to the nearly 70 portraits of poets and writers from Qatar and the Gulf region which Zaini did in one and a half years. The huge collection featured in an expo two years ago titled ‘Knights of Poetry’, held as part of the Doha Capital of Arab Culture programme.
In an interview, Zaini highlighted the important role poets play in “inspiring all social classes by recording historical and social events.” His works artistically integrate each poet’s portrait and his well-known verses.
Zaini was not only concerned about Qatar, but also the Gulf and the Arab world in general. He used to spend time in Cairo and Baghdad, reflecting on his feelings about the general situation in the Arab world.
Having studied at the University of Fine Arts in Baghdad, he had developed a fascination for the city, and one of his wishes before passing away was to visit the Iraqi capital.
He was also well travelled, having held solo and collective exhibitions in Japan, India, Pakistan, Korea, Turkey, Spain, Britain, France, Egypt and Syria as well as the GCC countries.
Until the end, he was innovating and exploring new styles and supporting the growth of Qatar’s fine arts movement. The Swalif and Mal Lawal exhibitions were among the last he participated in.
Dozens of Zaini’s paintings are on display in the newly inaugurated Jassim bin Mohammed Zaini Hall at the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage Tower.
THE PENINSULA
