CMU-Q alumnae featured at Ajyal art exhibition

The artwork of Alanoud Al-Ghamdi and Reem Al-Haddad is featured in an exhibition at Ajyal Creativity Hub in Msheireb. Al-Ghamdi and Al-Haddad are both graduates from the Class of 2021 at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q), a Qatar Foundation partner university.

To coincide with the Ajyal film festival, the annual exhibition calls out to artists in Qatar to contribute original pieces on a theme that reflects current events. This year, the theme is “We Will Not Leave,” with artwork that shows support for Palestine. 

This is the second year that Al-Haddad’s work has been featured at the Ajyal exhibition; her photo essay was part of the 2020 showcase. “I wanted to create a multimedia installation this year,” she said. “I feel like installations draw people in, they have an immersive quality.”

Al-Haddad’s piece is made from wood and neon lighting, and also features a short video to augment the meaning of the artwork. 

Al-Ghamdi contributed two pieces of art to the exhibition. The first  is made with stone and metal and embodies the idea that the traditional Palestinian keffiyeh is a symbol of the resistance. The second, made with wood and rope, reflects the Palestinians’ attachment to their land, and includes words from “Here we are staying” by Palestinian poet Tawfiq Ziyad.

“Studying business administration helped me as an artist,” Al-Ghamdi said. “I learned to be very detail-oriented, and I use these skills to conceptualize art pieces, to create design proposals, and to combine media in ways that communicate a message.”

Although the students were in different programs at CMU-Q, they were drawn together by a deep interest in art and design. Al-Ghamdi and Al-Haddad were both initiators of the student calligraphy club, and frequent contributors to art competitions and events. 

“We wanted to participate in the Ajyal exhibition together,” said Al-Haddad. “We saw each other’s proposals and we are so happy we were both selected.”

Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar offers undergraduate degree programs in biological sciences, business administration, computer science and information systems. Students create clubs and organize events based on their own interests, including art, design, culture and sport.