rki.news | Sources Katara
DOHA: The Cultural Village Foundation – Katara, in cooperation with Qatar Museums, has opened the “Dialogue of Paper” exhibition featuring artists from Qatar, Japan and Indonesia.
The exhibition was inaugurated by Mr. Saif Saad Al-Dosari, Deputy General Manager and Director of Human Resources at Katara, on Monday at Building 18, in the presence of artists and art enthusiasts.
Running from September 21 to October 4, 2026, the exhibition explores the relationship between paper, cultural identity and the local environment through artworks combining natural fibres, handmade paper, calligraphy and visual composition.
The exhibition features works by Qatari artist Yousef Ahmad, Japanese artist Hayaki Nishigaki and Indonesian artist Widi Pangestu Sugiono, with each artist presenting a distinctive artistic vision inspired by their cultural and natural environment.
Dr. Aisha Abdulla Hamad Al Misnad, curator of the exhibition, said the project is based on the idea that paper is more than an artistic medium. It carries the characteristics of the environment from which it is made, the knowledge of its maker and the visual traditions of the artist working with it.
Yousef Ahmad said the exhibition represents a shared artistic experiment with Nishigaki and Pangestu. The project began with a two-week artistic workshop in Qatar, where the artists brought natural materials from their respective countries, including Japanese washi paper, Indonesian mulberry fibres and Qatari palm leaves.
The materials were combined to create collaborative artworks reflecting the cultural identity of each country and bringing Arabic, Japanese and Indonesian calligraphy together in a distinctive visual dialogue.
Ahmad noted that works resulting from the collaboration had previously been exhibited in Japan and Jakarta before being brought together in Doha, presenting the outcome of an artistic experience spanning four years.
The “Dialogue of Paper” project began in 2022 as part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Qatar and Japan. Ahmad and Nishigaki combined Qatari palm fibres with Japanese kozo plant fibres to produce handmade paper, which formed the basis for 28 collaborative artworks incorporating Arabic and Japanese calligraphy, symbols and visual compositions. The works were later exhibited at 3331 Arts Chiyoda in Tokyo.
The project continued during the Qatar-Indonesia 2023 Year of Culture, when Indonesian artist Widi Pangestu joined Ahmad for an artistic residency and workshop in Doha. They combined Qatari palm fibres with Indonesian abaca and mulberry fibres to produce 36 artworks exploring the influence of different natural environments, from deserts to forests, on human life and creative experiences.
These works were later exhibited at the Emiria Soenassa Gallery at Taman Ismail Marzuki in Jakarta.
The exhibition represents a continuing cultural collaboration that brings together different chapters of the artistic project in Doha. It also highlights paper as a medium for dialogue between diverse environments, cultures and visual traditions, while reflecting Katara’s role in hosting international artistic experiences and promoting cultural exchange.
