Decades before Gulf women artists gained international attention, the late Qatari painter Wafa Al‑Hamad built a following for her bold optical abstractions blended with local themes.
Now, her first solo museum show, Sites of Imagination at Mathaf in Doha, is putting her pioneering work in the spotlight.
The exhibit comes as Gulf women artists gain global recognition. Saudi’s ATHR Foundation recently held a show in Paris, drawing curious crowds eager to explore the region’s art. While Al-Hamad wasn’t part of it, her work paved the way for a generation of women now shaping the Gulf’s cultural identity.