Doha Qatar Exhibition
October 21, 2008
Art in Embassies Program art exhibition
I am honored to tell you I’ve been invited to exhibit at the Embassy in Qatar. The Doha exhibition is made up of 11 works of art (including the two above) by 8 artists. The works are officially on loan to the US Department of State’s ART in Embassies Program and will be installed in the public rooms of the US Embassy residence in Doha, Qatar. The ambassador and his staff will use the art as a tool of cultural diplomacy; the hundreds of guests who visit the residence each year will have the opportunity to learn about American art and artists.
Ambassador Joseph LeBaron is originally from Oregon and wanted to highlight art from this area. Beyond this personal connection, the program also sought to include bold and colorful abstract pieces in order to make a connection to Islamic art, which is often nonrepresentational. The works will be installed in October of this year, and they will remain in Doha for the ambassador’s tenure, which will be another 2 to 2 1/2 years.
To find out more about the program, please visit the Arts in Embassies Program online.
As far as these two paintings, they are a part of a series I created during my time in Hawaii. Please read about them:
island rhythms—
essential counterparts
for life and harmony
These paintings are about my overall perspective, experiences and interpretations of Hawaii. During a month long stay on the islands, I realized that in Hawaii many opposites exist together. For example: the life below water and the life above water; the love of being in paradise and the hate of island fever; the free spending tourists and the thrifty locals; the dry bare side of an island and the wet jungle side. I felt these opposites created a harmony between the counterparts that was very unique to Hawaii and was essential for life on the islands.
Visually, I relate these opposites to the horizon line that separates the atmosphere from the masses of water or land. The colors come directly from Hawaii’s luscious botanical gardens and the vast ocean.
My hope is to show contrasting worlds existing together in harmony.
