Qatari artist uses Mexican straw art to showcase local hunting traditions

Doha: Bedour Ali, a talented Qatari artist, is showcasing a new perspective to the art scene in the country by reviving the ancient Mexican art of str...

Doha: Bedour Ali, a talented Qatari artist, is showcasing a new perspective to the art scene in the country by reviving the ancient Mexican art of straw painting, a unique form of painting that dates back to the Aztec civilization 600 years ago.

What sets Bedour’s work further apart is her ability to use this ancient technique to represent the local Qatari tradition of hunting using predatory birds.

According to Bedour, “The art of ‘Qash’, which is the Arabic word for straw, is a 100% natural art form that relies solely on organic materials.’’

The straws used in the artwork are dyed using natural pigments derived from the environment and then stuck on the canvas to give life to the artwork.