From Qatar to Palestine, Fatma Al Shebani has proven herself time and time again as a female pioneer in the Middle Eastern art scene. Forced to navigate through complicated societal standards and expectations, Al Shebani has repeatedly broken barriers with her artistic voice and has emerged to leave a major impression on the world around her. As she grew in popularity, she moved beyond the art exhibits and museums of Qatar to show her work around the region and around the world. She chose the path of hard work and inspiration. Through her many exhibitions, Al Shebani demonstrates the power of her motivations and the depth of her achievement.
As many artists do, Al Shebani began in her home country and did so during a period when Qatar’s art scene largely found itself at a point of stagnation. During this time, Al Shebani was often overshadowed by group exhibitions, losing her name in a sea of many. It was not until she decided to fly solo that “Fatma the Artist” stepped into the spotlight.
In 2004, Al Shebani held her first solo exhibition at the Sheraton during the Doha Song Festival. Not only was she able to display her intricate, thought-provoking art, but she was also able to show her diligent, methodical thinking when planning the exhibit. Choosing the perfect time for an exhibition typically proves essential for its success, especially when the artist is just starting out. Planning it to coincide with a popular music festival ensured attraction to her exhibit from an excess of tourists, locals, and media who’d arrived in Doha to attend the festival. First impressions matter and Al Shebani made hers count, setting herself on a fast track to success as an artist and a businesswoman from the start.
Al Shebani quickly grew determined to expand her artistic brand and held her next exhibition in Beirut, Lebanon just two months later. Her sculptures and paintings were well received and her following expanded to include a host of new communities. One year later, in 2005, Al Shebani took a big step for women artists in the Middle East when she became the first female artist to hold a mixed exhibition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. What was previously forbidden had been accomplished by a strong-minded woman with a desire to break social constructs and reach out into the world that stood before her. This particular exhibition solidified her place as a respected artist in the Arab world. Once again, perseverance and ambition catapulted her into greater success and began paving the way for many women in the art world to follow suit.
Over the years, Al Shebani held more exhibitions and continued to expand her reach. Exhibitions were held in Paris and England, among others. Although she had begun to broaden her scope to outside the Arab world, one of Al Shebani’s most significant accomplishments came in 2009 when she exhibited one of her sculptures during a visit to Gaza. No Qatari artist, man or woman, had ever done this before had ever done it before. Al Shebani aimed and succeeded in connecting with the Palestinian people through the vehicle of her own art. In fact, this has always comprised one of the essential components of her dream: to venture where few have gone before and to reach an ever-diverse, ever-expanding audience. In 2013, Al Shebani visited Palestine again to paint on the “separation wall” and host an art gallery in Bethlehem. At times, the controversial history of Palestine has unfortunately resulted in a lack of acknowledgment of the rich artistic and cultural traditions that live there. As an artist, Al Shebani saw an opportunity to stir conversation in a place less engaged by Arab artists, as well as a chance to bridge the gap between her own culture and that of Palestine, bringing more awareness and attention to the situation. Al Shebani’s push to exhibit her art in Palestine may have rendered her name more recognizable but more than that, it acted to show the power of connecting people through art.
Fatma Al Shebani has emerged as a highly-respected regional artist by virtue of her ambition to reach further than anyone in her society ever had before. She carried vision wherever she went and maintained the focus needed to excel in the already difficult-to-navigate art world. Her perseverance, determination, and planning skills allowed her to succeed where many would have failed, from her first to her most recent exhibition.
