Shouq Al Mana Qatar, 1996

Shouq Al Mana is a contemporary Qatari artist who holds a bachelor’s degree in Painting and Printmaking from Virginia Commonwealth University. Recurring themes in her work include culture, unity, and identity.

Her current practice spans painting, sculpture, and installation art. Her interpretation of history through symbolism is imbued with a synthesis of the past and present.

She was selected to represent Qatar by Generation Amazing and had the honor of collaborating with photographer Michael Muller. Generation Amazing’s project with CORE, a non-profit organization, was a fundraiser for Haiti that took place in December of 2019. This collaboration project was sold at the Fundraising gala dinner in Los Angeles, California.

In 2022, Shouq received international acclaim for her recent sculpture “Egal,” in which she utilized cultural symbolism to pay homage to Qatari heritage and traditions that have been passed down through generations. Moreover, work is an emblem of the spirit of collective resistance. Later in that year, she was interviewed and featured in the “Fan lelhaya” show in BBC Arabic to talk about her sculpture Egal and the concept behind it.

Al-Mana also took part in a sustainability campaign with Qatar Museums in conjunction with the World Cup. Each of the 22 artists who were invited to take part was tasked with creating a unique water bottle that would serve as an incentive to use refillable bottles instead of plastic ones. It was a privilege for her to be able to partake in an artistic project with the impactful aim of reducing plastic waste.

In 2023, Shouq was invited to speak in a panel at the Art for Tomorrow conference in Florence, Italy. There, she participated in an in-depth discussion about art’s impact on society alongside other international guests.