“Women of the Pandemic: Creativity in Quarantine”

On June 24, Qatar America Institute of Culture (QAIC) hosted the webinar “Women of the Pandemic: Creativity in Quarantine,” presented in partnership with Katara Cultural Village in Qatar. Moderated by Dr. Shaikha Al-Misnad, this webinar featured 8 Qatari and American female artists; representing Qatar were Abeer Al Kuwari, Haila Al Khuzai, Jawaher Rashad Al-Mannai, and Maryam Abdulla Al-Khaldi, while Alexandra N Sherman, Anna U Davis, Jordann Wine, and Sarah Ahmad joined from the American side.

Each artist talked about their styles, creative processes, and how quarantine affected their artistic vision. For the Qatari artists, the focus of their art during the pandemic was on the strength and resolve of women during lockdown. Meanwhile, the American artists’ work came from personal experiences reflecting on the chaos and injustice that COVID-19 presented.

However, both sets of artists also reflected on the shared experience of the pandemic, as Qatari artist Abeer Al Kuwari stated, “I see so many similarities between us and the American artists. The fear, loneliness…we all went through it.” Each artist had to think outside the box when it came to finding new ways to create their art, whether due to the limitations of supplies or lack of access to studio space cause by the quarantine. The pandemic may have disrupted the daily life of everyone, but these 8 female artists persevered to create exciting and inspiring new works.

To view the full recording of the event, click down below, while the virtual exhibition of these artists’ works can be viewed here.