Lifestyle

Style Meets Steel: Fatma Al Shebani Creates a Unique Visual Language through Brilliant Metalworking

Published

3 years ago

April 4, 2022

The materials artists employ in their work often carry with them as much meaning as the content of the works themselves. For Fatma Al Shebani, accomplished Qatari artist well known for her use of strong materials such as bronze, resin, iron, and stainless steel, this could not be more true.

The people of Qatar have witnessed transformations in recent decades like few societies in history have. The social fabric of the country, as well as the urban landscape of its major metropolitan centar, Doha, have experienced dramatic change resulting from the discovery of oil less than a century ago, which pushed the national economy away from a declining pearl trade and set it on track to eventually boast one of the highest standards on living in the world. From its position as a relative backwater situated on the western shores of the Persian Gulf, to a thriving economy growing in the shadows of towering steel skyscrapers, Qatar has been, and in many ways remains, a society in transition.

Doha is a city characterized by its architectural diversity, and yet the broad range of stylistic approaches stand united through common visual elements and motifs that draw from Qatar’s rich national history. The same could be said of Al Shebani’s work, which exhibits a wide breadth of subject matter that nevertheless remains largely tied together through her choice of strong materials and commitment to drawing inspiration from Qatari history and culture. Indeed, through the use of various metals, Al Shebani has succeeded in creating a body of work that compliments the city’s architectural vernacular.

Her use of bronze, iron, and steel imbues a sense of both permanence and strength into her projects. These materials act to bolster the strength of her visual storytelling represented in the pieces themselves. Steel, the technology that first allowed for the development of contemporary urban skylines, carries with it certain notions of modernity in its application to her art. The subjects Al Shebani illustrates in her metal working, however, find inspiration in cultural motifs of times past. Specifically, she draws from her own personal memories to conjure up imagery that reflects traditional Qatari culture, often in forms reminiscent of conventional modes of dress. This idea becomes apparent in the many iterations of her ‘Bokhnaq’ and ‘Batoula’ series. In conjunction with one another, her choice of subject and material work to bring the lessons of the past forward into an ever modernizing, ever changing cultural context.

Like many of the architects who have aimed to preserve Qatar’s history in their construction of buildings that in many ways must, by virtue of their purpose and scale, break with tradition, Al Shebani often elects to immortalize elements of Doha’s surrounding marine and land environments in her work, casting them in beautiful relief. This is perhaps most clearly seen in Al Adiyat 9, which depicts horses, an important feature of Qatari history, in stunning motion, as well as her reliefs illustrating the sacred marine life of Qatar’s offshore reefs.

Doha has become, in many ways, a city of steel clinging purposefully to its roots. Architects have devised a myriad of creative tactics to embrace change while still acting to preserve traditional Qatari values and style. Al Shebani’s work then functions as the perfect compliment to the city’s dynamic urban landscape. She has expertly managed to marry the old and the new, the traditional and the modern, to establish a visual language that reflects this culturally rich nation’s ever changing ethos.

For more information about Fatma Al Shebani and her work, visit: https://www.fatmaalshebani.com/

Lifestyle

Derik Fay: The Strategist Who Built Empires Where Others Saw Limits

Published

2 days ago

June 22, 2025

Michelle Langton

In the ever-changing landscape of entrepreneurship, few names carry the weight of strategic precision like Derik Fay. Behind the scenes of some of the most dynamic, growth-driven companies in America, Fay has become a master at the art of scaling businesses without sacrificing soul.

What makes his journey all the more compelling isn’t just what he’s done — it’s how quietly and deliberately he’s done it. Born in Westerly, Rhode Island, on a cold November day in 1978, Fay didn’t come from connections or capital. He came from resilience. Raised in modest circumstances, he developed a mindset early on that would come to define his success: if a door doesn’t open, build the damn frame yourself.

At 6’1″, Fay’s physical presence is matched only by the magnitude of his vision. Over the past two decades, he’s grown from a solo operator into a force that touches nearly every major sector in American business. He is best known as the founder of 3F Management, a multi-sector venture and private equity firm that acts less like a bank and more like a command center — diagnosing broken business structures, overhauling teams, and rebuilding revenue engines from the inside out.

But 3F is only the beginning. Fay holds active leadership or board roles across a broad range of ventures, including Around the Clock Fitness, SalonPlex, Results Roofing, BIGG Pharma, Tycoon Payments, Eratyc Entertainment, FayMs Films, and even the combat sports disruptor Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships (BKFC). Each of these businesses reflects a different side of his philosophy: high-functioning systems, vertical integration, and zero tolerance for mediocrity.

And while his public persona is often understated, the reach is massive. His online presence alone has generated billions of views, with over 1.4 million followers engaging with his strategic insights, mentorship content, and thought leadership across platforms. He’s not an influencer — he’s an executor with influence.

Yet behind the numbers and headlines is a family man. Since 2021, Fay has shared his life with his partner, Shandra Phillips, whose presence he often credits as grounding his often chaotic, deal-driven world. Together, they raise two daughters, Sophia Elena Fay and Isabella Roslyn Fay — the true north to his professional compass.

Despite his vast portfolio, Fay is not driven by applause. He’s driven by the ripple effect. Every deal, every venture, every mentorship session carries the same intention: to leave people, companies, and communities better than he found them.

He’s also begun exploring a new frontier — film and entertainment. Through FayMs Films and strategic partnerships with entertainment studios, Fay is merging business with storytelling, stepping occasionally into the spotlight as an actor and executive producer. It’s a logical evolution for a man who’s spent his life crafting narratives — only now, some of them play out on screen.

And while many entrepreneurs spend their careers chasing validation, Fay has been repeatedly recognized in major outlets like Forbes, Yahoo Finance, and Maxim, not for buzz but for results. He’s been cited alongside legacy names in global business and continues to operate with the same laser-focus that got him through his first startup, his first failure, and his first million-dollar win.

In a time when founders obsess over being seen, Derik Fay has built something far rarer — he’s become essential. Not just to his companies, but to the evolving definition of what modern leadership looks like: measured, disciplined, people-first, and unapologetically ambitious.

He doesn’t just build businesses.
He builds systems that build people.

Derikfay.com