Ready to welcome the world
I wanted to capture the beauty of football : it can be played on a professional field , but for many in the world , they make their own football field . Here in Qatar , generations of people grew up playing football in the freej , what most would know as the neighbourhood .
Bouthayna Al Muftah Qatari artist
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your work ?
The fact that I am standing before you here today is truly part of a historical moment . As an artist , my practice and process involve a lot of storytelling . The story of Qatar and football has so much more to it than is perceived . I present these posters in a series , rather than in a single poster as it encapsulates the concept of community and collective memory in a much more powerful manner .
What are you hoping people take away when they consider the posters ?
I think I want people to really connect with the beauty of the sport in bringing people together , and how football has no bounds and is a game for all . Just like there ’ s football culture in other countries , we also have our football culture here , and I wanted that to be represented . I hope the posters have achieved that .
How does it feel to contribute to the first World Cup in the Middle East ?
I feel honoured to be able to share my work and signature visual language with the world . It is significant for me to represent female artists globally , and while I do represent artists and creatives from the region , and proudly so , I humbly follow in the footsteps of many before me from the Middle East and Arab region who paved the path for me to be where I am today .
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