News Date:Wednesday, 03 January 2018

The General Manager of the Cultural Village Foundation – Katara, H.E Dr. Khalid Bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, inaugurated an exhibition on Conceptual Architecture yesterday evening,
in the presence of a group of engineers, artists and media. The works on display are the creation of artist and architect Mohammed Muhannad Barakat, and are inspired by nature and natural phenomena.

The exhibit consists of 10 sculptures, 11 sculptural paintings and a collection of photographs. Inaugurating the novel exhibit, H. E. Dr. Sulaiti noted, "Katara is keen to provide an outstanding platform both for artists and those passionate about art. This exhibit draws our attention to both the subtle and direct influences that nature has on architecture and engineering."

Praising the artist's interpretation of nature, The General Manager of the Cultural Village Foundation – Katara, H.E Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti said, "Katara is working to provide its audience with various artistic experiences in order to open them up to innovative ways of creativity. I invite the public to visit this exhibition, which guarantees to give the visitor a unique artistic experience."

Elaborating on why he chose to portray his work in black and white, Barakat said, "The use of different colors cannot do justice to the meandering and bending shapes of nature, so I decided to use black and white instead." 

Drawing attention to the impact of nature on engineering, the artist pointed out that everything we see around us stays inside us, directly or indirectly, an interpretation that is reflected in his works, drawings and inventions. The pieces on display are a beautiful example of how artistic interpretations of curves and angles found in nature, can result in outstanding art works that are both simple and complex at the same time.

Barakat explained that he begins his work by studying the various forms of nature. He pointed out that nature is a mixture of exquisite geometrical forms created by God in a very complex way, although as human beings, we tend to view them from a simpler and more straightforward perspective.

Mohammed Muhannad Barakat is a Syrian artist and architect based in Qatar. He graduated from Damascus University in 2008, where he received his bachelor's degree from the Faculty of Fine Arts in Interior Architecture. Hailing from a family of seven architects, Barakat said he was influenced both by his family and some of the world's top designers.

His work is characterized by a style that veers off from the familiar, relying instead on the complexity of natural forms to inspire his designs and interpretations. His creations are both aesthetically appealing yet utilitarian, and can be adopted across the areas of engineering, interior design, architectural or public infrastructure design.

The exhibit is open to the public at Building number 22, at Katara, until the 14th of January.