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

How to Get the Tools You Need to Live a Happy Healthy Life

Published

15 hours ago

January 18, 2025

Michelle Langton

Living a happy healthy life isn’t as easy as many will have you believe. Social media is often filled with quick fixes, expensive supplements, and highlight reels to convince you that all it takes is [enter product or service for sale here]. The reality is that you need tools for that life — like a nutritious diet, sufficient sleep, stress management, and positive social connections. And many people don’t have the slightest idea how to get those tools. Here are the critical steps:

Know What You Need

First, because both happiness and health are specific to the individual, the most important ability you need is self-awareness. If you can’t see yourself clearly, it will be almost impossible to improve yourself. So, take a good hard look at yourself and factor in your strengths and weaknesses. Ask yourself what you’re capable of and what you need to get there.

For example, some people may be in good physical shape and simply need to hire a personal trainer to help take their fitness to the next level. Others need a full panel of tests at a local clinic to figure out what health issues they may need to address. In cases of abuse or addiction, you might need weekly therapy, or you may benefit from inpatient treatment for substance abuse. You’ll have to evaluate your specific situation and go from there.

Ask for Help

If life is really bad and has been for some time, and you feel like you just can’t pull yourself out of a downward spiral, you most likely need to ask someone for help. Even in the case of an average life change, it could help to have an outside opinion in the form of a therapist, a friend, or a family member you trust. Many people struggle to ask for help, so this step may be especially challenging for you.

Remind yourself that truly everyone needs help at some time in their lives, whether they realize it or not. It’s also helpful to remember that many people enjoy helping others and even sign up as volunteers or go into service jobs for that reason. If you have trouble asking someone you know for help, look into local resources like counseling or social services, which can be inexpensive or even free. Those spaces will be able to help you get the additional tools you need.

Make Sure You Have a Safe Space to Live

Speaking of spaces, it’s hard to access the tools you need for a happy healthy life if you don’t have a safe space to live. Where are you supposed to sleep? Where can you store your nutritious food? These are real concerns for a lot of people, and if you’re one of them, you need to take it seriously. Look around you. Are you living in a safe environment that invites you to thrive and become your best self? If the answer is no, it’s time for a change.

Obviously, it’s not typically easy to just pick up and leave your current residence, but, again, if you answered “no” to the question above, you’ll need to take the leap. If you can afford it, get your own place, so you have more of a sense of control over your own life and choices. If not, reach out to your resources, like social services, and find out about safe, affordable housing. Also, if you have a friend or family member you trust, you may be able to stay with them.

Find Rewarding Work

Another crucial step toward accessing the essential tools for a good life is finding work you enjoy. It’s not enough to make money; plenty of people are miserable at high-paying jobs. Your goal should be to find the intersection between what you’re good at (what skills you have) and what you love. Then, work with your resources to figure out what kind of work you can do that will pay you a living wage or more.

When you find rewarding work, you can look forward to showing up to do your job every day. Most people spend more time at work each week than they do doing anything else, except maybe sleeping. It’s important you feel good about your work. Then, you won’t end up numbing your misery with drugs, alcohol, food, or too much screen time. Instead, you’ll be more encouraged to eat well, get enough sleep, and exercise, so you can keep showing up.

Engage in Community

Finally, in addition to those resources you find and utilize, you’ll also want to find and engage in community. This may begin with a program like Alcoholics Anonymous or a support group for grief or eating habits, but it can evolve into book clubs, walking groups, and more. Try to give as much as you get in these community spaces, whether it’s at your local farmer’s market or at a soup kitchen.

The more socially engaged you are, the better you feel, and the more likely you are to keep up your self-care. Community provides this feeling of giving back like few other avenues do because you are in an almost constant state of giving and receiving. When you want to be part of something, you can join a group or festival and socialize. At the same time, when you feel up to contributing, you can lend a hand and make a difference. Many times, you can do both at the same time.

The tools you need for a happy healthy life are basic. You require good food, sleep, exercise, and people. But as basic as they are, many people need a lot of help to get to where they can access those tools. The most important part of this entire process, toward getting happy and healthy, is acknowledging that you are worthy of those tools and that life. From there, you can start doing the work to get them.