An art enthusiast from Doha, Bouthayna Al-Muftah, is spreading her creative talents in Doha’s buzzing art scene and beyond. With a background in graphic design, illustration, and printmaking, this young, talented artist is creating modern interpretations of culturally rich influences and producing some sensational pieces. Al-Muftah graduated from the Virginia Commonwealth University of Qatar and majored in Graphic Design. Her inspirations—the rich culture in Qatar, her surroundings, and the untamed beauty of nature—have led her to apply organic, modern designs to just about anything, from bespoke artesian wrapping paper, to cushions, scarves, and hand-bound notebooks.
On developing her art into something tangible.
My interest in art began at a very young age and progressed gradually over the years. In high school, I started to hone my abilities and documented the artistic and design process with journaling and experimentation. The journaling became an art in itself. It allowed me to look back at my process, and that became my own reference book which told a story of my artistic approach. During this time is where the illustration of pen and ink developed and I was able to translate my artistic ideas into 3-dimensional forms in the workshop, working hands-on with the materials. I carried out everything by myself, from beginning to end. I have gained a certain respect for art that did not always rely entirely on the use of today’s technologies.
On nature, a key influence for her.
I always saw beauty in that which surrounds me. I began to look for things in less obvious places, zooming in on elements of nature and interpreting it differently. I like to translate my ideas and my inspirations in an abstract way. I would like people to see beauty in the everyday things around them through my artwork.
My aesthetic, from the illustrations themselves, to the materials that they are sometimes printed on, all maintain an element of nature and a visible link to their raw form. It is this raw quality of my work that I have come to refer to as “organic”.
On her future plans.
Skills that I had and knew, but never got the opportunity to practice, have developed in recent years. You could say that all of my printed artwork has no end point. As a result of this approach, I can’t say where it might go. At the moment, I have to say, I am so inspired and motivated. I have so many ideas that I just want to keep developing. I would like to possibly work with creating artistic installations and showing my artwork in a 3-dimensional form, whatever that might be, as exhibition pieces.
On process and finding an artistic release.
I feel that you gain a certain sense of fulfillment from doing things by hand, whether that’s creating a notebook from scratch, or making a handwritten note of a simple idea in that notebook. During my time as a graphic design student in Doha, I was introduced to this idea of bookmaking and found it fascinating. I like craftsmanship to be one-of-a-kind, as opposed to something mass-produced, which we have become so used to in the 21st century. I’ll admit that it is a time consuming process for me, particularly with the hand-stitched binding. One notebook can take 2 or 3 days to be completed, with several hours of work devoted to it per day.
I get more of a release from pen and ink portraits. The process calms me and I find that I can immerse myself in it for hours at a time, focusing on the details and perfecting the features. While these portraits are difficult to do and sometimes take days to complete, I find the print work much more challenging. The process is more time consuming and strenuous and takes many attempts to get it right.
On inspiration, both local and otherwise.
A main inspiration for me is Souq Waqif. The elements of culture that are preserved there are a huge influence and inspiration to my artistic approach. I have to also mention that I have always had an interest in my mother’s farm. Her love for growing organic herbs and vegetables is embedded in the style of artwork that I produce today. The Museum of Islamic Art is obviously a big inspiration. From its architecture, to its philosophy, to its art, through and through, it is a testament to the beauty of art in our culture. Particularly the elements of ‘lost arts’ that are shown in the Quran binding, the calligraphy, the hand painting, gold leafing, the inspiration there is endless.
I am also interested in the post-modernist era aesthetic approach as a whole, particularly typography and architecture during the Bauhaus Movement. Artists who inspire me in my style are: Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Jackson Pollock, Joan Mitchell, and Franz Kline’s action painting.
Follow Bouthayna on Instagram, @b_almuftah with items soon for sale by commission.
