Getting to Know Rising Qatari Contemporary Artist Muna Al-Bader (Exclusive)

Celeb Secrets: You are an IT engineer, business analyst, and a contemporary artist known as “Artist of Blue”. How did you decide you wanted to turn to art?

Muna Al-Bader: “Art is a passion in my life. I am a computer engineer as a career, but talented in art. I entered the world of art many years ago and became aware that art was in my blood. So I could not start my day without scribbling with brush strokes and colors. I became very impressed by the beauty of the enchanting blue color. Blue takes you to another world full of joy and sadness that are not separate human feelings but one in the same.”

CS: The sky and sea of your homeland inspired your artwork. At what moment in your art career did you decide to only use the various shades of blue?

MAB: “I started focusing on the blue color in 2018, when I got tired of the hustle and bustle of colors, and I only had a blue color in my bag that day, so I started painting with it in one of the artistic events related to the Human Rights Committee. This painting gained people’s interest which made me curious to know the secret of the blue color and its effect on human feelings. I began to search for the origin of the blue color and its connection to humans over the years. In fact, water is transparent  but we are the ones who feel happy when we see everything and see the sky’s reflection on the sea with its blue color.”

CS: Do you remember the first piece of art you created? What was it?

MAB: “The first drawing I drew in KG grade was about the folk customs of making bread in Qatar. I had participated in one of the international competitions in India and I won first place when I was 7 years old.”

CS: Your artwork has been showcased in many solo exhibitions such as the Dan Danah Exhibition in 2019 amongst others. What do you feel each time you feel others viewing your work at these important exhibitions?

MAB: “Solo exhibitions are a reflection of many years of experience and often happen when I disappear for a while from the art scene.  I feel very happy when I conduct my solo exhibition every 10 years because I see how people are thrilled and excited to see my new art works. At The Dan Danah exhibition I felt that this was a great achievement for me. People were shocked because it was the first time that the people in Qatar saw a large exhibition taking place using only one color. This exhibition also introduced the sound element. A folkloric orchestra came to play the marine orchestra pieces related to maritime heritage, so that the viewer could feel the events depicted on an art board by evoking sound and image at the same time.”

CS: You have received many awards for your artwork such as the 2020 Qatar Art Ambassador and many other awards. Did it ever come to your mind that your work would be recognized and known?

MAB: “I always have confidence that my works will win international awards because every person must strive and persevere to achieve his goals. I always have a clear plan for my future. In addition, I am confident that I am a different person from everyone else as everyone in this world is different from the other and distinguished and talented in something, whether in art or any other field. The first prize I won was at the level of the Arab world and then I won two prizes from Sotheby’s Auction House which is enough to make me expect more and more international prizes.”

CS: I know each art piece has its own message, and you recently painted a graffiti mural at the University of Houston. How do you want those viewing your art to feel? What message do you send through it? 

MAB: “Every painting carries many meanings because art is the universal language of discourse among all peoples. My graffiti work at the University of Houston is a work of art that addresses students and their passion for knowledge. Science and knowledge are the basis for building nations. I remember myself when I was young and painted myself on the mural and I was imagining the urban development in Qatar and in America.”

CS: An art teacher once told me glitter would make my artwork look cheap. How do you react to those that might criticize your work or your choice of only using blue in your work?

MAB: “Being different makes you special. Painting in a monochrome color is very difficult as you have to create different shades from one tube of color. So criticizing my art gives me motivation to challenge myself and great more and more of my own style in painting.”

CS: You have your own unique style and you have shared it with the world. What message do you have for artists that are afraid to show their work due to fear of criticism?  

MAB: “Art is a reflection of the artist’s creative energy, feelings and thinking.  I do not listen to criticism of my artwork. I paint for myself and to convey my message to the world, not to satisfy the tastes of different people. We are in one world and each of us has his own world in which he is deposited.”

CS: Was there anyone in particular that motivated you to show your art?  MAB: “I like to share everything in my life. I am like an open book for everyone to read through my art. I love that everyone enjoys sharing this visual beauty, so no one came and told me that I had to share my artwork with people, but there were some people who advised me to participate in certain exhibitions and international collaborations to further my expansion as an artist.”

CS: Since we’re Celeb Secrets, do you have a secret (fun fact) about yourself that fans wouldn’t know about you (or your art)? 

MAB: “Because I love to drink coffee while I am painting and I keep my cup of coffee next to the turpentine cup, sometimes when I am very focused on painting and spending my time in painting, I forget which cup is which and drink a cup of turpentine instead of my usual cup of coffee!”