Get to Know Me!
The Graduating Class of 2022
Graduating Class of 2022
Graphic Design
Interior Design
Painting + Printmaking
Fashion Design
MFA in Design
Interesting things happen when we hear the voices of our undergraduates and graduates 2022 at VCUarts Qatar. Look at our survey below.
#1: Are you planning to study abroad?
Yes: 15
No: 5
Don’t know yet: 22
#2: Are you planning to start your own studio or work as a freelance?
Yes: 29
No: 3
Don’t know yet: 10
#3: What is most valuable to you in your first job appointment?
Time: 7
Money: 8
Autonomy at work: 0
Opportunities for growth: 27
Location: 0
#4: Do you define yourself as…
An Artist: 8
A Designer: 30
No label please: 3
Still don’t know: 1
#5: What kind of workplace culture are you looking for? Select the most important for you.
Feeling valued in all aspects of my work and life choice: 19
Uniting around a common cause: 1
Hungry for knowledge and innovation: 9
Diversity and inclusion as priorities: 7
Prestigious, well-respected and admired institution as key factors: 4
Centering on transparency and trust: 2
Grounded by mentorship, collaboration and camaraderie: 0
#6: An Example of a text based poll question?
#6: If you can be a superhero of the art/design world, who will you be?
The superhero of program shortcuts!
– Mashael Al Baker, Graphic Design
qatar.vcu.edu/bfa-mfa-thesis-2022/mashael-al-baker
A rendered space would pop up as soon as I think of a concept
Noof Al-Naama , Interior Design
alnaamanoof.com
qatar.vcu.edu/bfa-mfa-thesis-2022/noof-al-naama
I would like to be the kind of hero that makes a difference with my designs. To give a voice, a narrative to the voiceless.
Farida Fathala, Fashion Design
qatar.vcu.edu/bfa-mfa-thesis-2022/farida-fathala
#7: How do you define success for yourself?
My personal definition of success is following your passion wherever that road takes you.
– Deema Al Muraikhi, Interior Design
deemaalmuraikhi.com
qatar.vcu.edu/bfa-mfa-thesis-2022/deema-al-muraikhi
Success is about finding happiness in what I’m doing. It’s about making a difference in other people’s lives. It’s about giving back to the community. If I made a difference in at least one person’s life, I would believe I have succeeded.
– Hira Nisar, Fashion Design
@_hiranisar
qatar.vcu.edu/bfa-mfa-thesis-2022/hira-nisar
Success to me is to be self-content.
– Gayatri Maelathil, Graphic Design
@_gayatriiii
#8: Among the teammates and collaborators, you've worked with in the last few years, who do you admire and why? #gratitude
#8: When was the first time that you remember realizing that you were a creative person?
– Asma Al Mohannadi, Interior Design
aalmohannadi1102.wixsite.com/website
qatar.vcu.edu/bfa-mfa-thesis-2021/asma-al-mohannadi
– Nia Alexander Campbell, MFA in Design
@niaalexanderart
niaalexanderart.com/
qatar.vcu.edu/bfa-mfa-thesis-2021/nia-alexander-campbell
#9: What was the last advice you gave to someone?
– AlMaha AlMaadeed, Painting and Printmaking
@almaadeedak
almaadeedak.com
qatar.vcu.edu/bfa-mfa-thesis-2021/almaha-al-maadeed
– Asma Al Mohannadi, Interior Design
aalmohannadi1102.wixsite.com/website
qatar.vcu.edu/bfa-mfa-thesis-2021/asma-al-mohannadi
#9: What is your creative obsession?
– Fatima Ramzan, Graphic Design
@fatimaramzaner
– Ayatalla Mohamed, Fashion Design
@aymkv
– Deema Al Muraikhi, Interior Design
deemaalmuraikhi.com
#10: Where is your inspiration spot in Doha?
– Hannah Fakhri, Graphic Design
@hannahf.designs
hannahfakhri.com
qatar.vcu.edu/bfa-mfa-thesis-2022/hannah-fakhri
– Hassan Alshehhi, Painting and Printmaking
qatar.vcu.edu/bfa-mfa-thesis-2022/hassan-alshehhi
– Noof Al-Naama, Interior Design
alnaamanoof.com
qatar.vcu.edu/bfa-mfa-thesis-2022/noof-al-naama
#11: What do you believe you can achieve in Doha personally or professionally that you can't anywhere else in the world?
- You can create an impact on society’s behavior so easily because of the connections and scale of Qatar.
- Balancing between work and social life,
- Growing myself,
- What I love about Doha is that it’s a small population and we are all closely knitted together, Everyone knows everyone, so it’s not very difficult to gain attention to your art,
- Doha is a small town where you can get the limelight very fast since everyone is aware of each other, unlike in big countries with billions in population,
- I believe I can develop stronger connections with popular designers in Doha, since many exhibitions by famous designers, such as Virgil Alboh, are being held in Doha.
#12: How can the art and design world be more inclusive?
– Maha Masri, Interior Design
masrimm.com
– Hagar Allam, Graphic Design
– Farida Fathala, Fashion Design
qatar.vcu.edu/bfa-mfa-thesis-2022/farida-fathala
#13: If you were in a conversation with someone that does not think Art + Design is a serious career, what would you say to him/her to change their opinion?
Try it out for yourself
mryamalmohanadi.com qatar.vcu.edu/bfa-mfa-thesis-2021/maryam-al-muhannadi
#14: What do you hope will be different about the art and design scene in Doha, compared to now?
- I hope that Doha will be known for being the home of many notable artists and of creative freedom.
- A more open minded look at discussing different topics that need to be talked about through art and design such as sexual assault and mental health,
- Less standard, more experimental,
- I believe we need a bigger and stronger art community and a space that brings these talented individuals together while connecting with the international art world as well,
- Controversial topics, more self-expression, less commercial art,
- More marketing and ads about creatives and different creative events,
- I hope Doha can keep expanding their art and design scene in terms of exposure for everyone and having opportunities in every creative space. To eliminate favoritism and cherish inclusion!
- Designing things that celebrate Qatari traditions in a modern way,
- Bringing together anime fans in Qatar, which was the point of my whole senior thesis,
- Opening up an Egyptian experience brand that resonates with the locals.
#14: Name an art or design-related Instagram account you highly recommend to follow, and why?
– Shaika Al Meghaisib, Interior Design
almeghaisibsa.wixsite.com/website
qatar.vcu.edu/bfa-mfa-thesis-2021/shaika-al-meghaisib
– Haya Al-Hetmi, Graphic Design
hayaalhetmi.com
qatar.vcu.edu/bfa-mfa-thesis-2021/haya-al-hetmi
#15: What was the last thing you nerded out on?
– Nada Raafat Alkharashi, MFA
@by.nadak
nadaelkharashi.com
qatar.vcu.edu/bfa-mfa-thesis-2021/nada-raafat-elkharashi
– Najla AlKhater, Graphic Design
@alkhaternk
plantencounters.com/
qatar.vcu.edu/bfa-mfa-thesis-2021/najla-al-khater
#16: What’s the difference between an artist/designer who’s great versus one who’s outstanding?
– Nurul Amirah Binti Azlan, Graphic Design
@n.azlan.design
azlanna1.wixsite.com/escapism
qatar.vcu.edu/bfa-mfa-thesis-2021/nurul-azlan
– Deema Al Shafi, Graphic Design
@deemisaud
deemisaud.com
qatar.vcu.edu/bfa-mfa-thesis-2021/deema-al-shafi
#17: Name a life-changing art work or design: If you can meet your favorite artist or designer, what question will you ask him/her?
– Maphuza Akter, Interior Design
akterm4.wixsite.com/lepidus
qatar.vcu.edu/bfa-mfa-thesis-2021/maphuza-akter
– Safa Al-Hadithi, Fashion Design
qatar.vcu.edu/bfa-mfa-thesis-2021/safa-al-hadithi
#18: What is a question that you wish we had asked?
– Safa Al-Hadithi, Fashion Design
qatar.vcu.edu/bfa-mfa-thesis-2021/safa-al-hadithi
#15: What's one part of the university’s culture that you hope to bring to your next work environment?
#16: What aspect of design/art do you give the highest priority to?
- The meaning behind my design is my highest priority.
- Quality,
- The process and rendering, I give my highest priority to communicating a compelling message. Whether it is to inspire or advocate for something I believe in,
- Visual systems (consistency), color theories and design intentions,
- I would say the ‘refinement’ process. Once I know that a concept works and that the idea is understandable. I spend the longest time on creating variations and seeing what details work and what don’t before finalizing something. Everything from style, colour and contrast.
#17: What is your favorite part about being an artist or designer?
- Getting to experiment and finding creative solutions,
- Being able to reflect personality in a space,
- Trusting the process,
- The fact that I am able to use my own imagination and pieces of myself to create an artwork or illustration that is expressive, but also tells a story or communicates something to the viewer,
- Seeing the results I’ve been working on,
- Being able to speak without words, art is a universal language,
- Coming up with solutions to problems that seem unsolvable – design-wise,
- Coming up with solutions to problems that seem unsolvable – design-wise,
Important note:
We did a survey of all the VCUarts Qatar senior students in our design programs (Fashion Design, Graphic Design, Interior Design and Painting and Printmaking) and in our MFA in Design program. We asked them about their post-graduation plans and asked them to share their ideas on their studies and on their futures, even asking them what superhero they’d like to be. The survey was voluntary, and we were fortunate to have a great response: of the 57 students surveyed, an astonishing 42 (73%) responded. The responses reflect just how important VCUarts Qatar and its education were to the students and provides rich and practical insights about students’ expectations about their future professional life.
Illustrations by Sherifa Eletrebi
Sherifa Eletrebi is a senior graphic design student who can’t seem to get enough of learning new things and challenging herself. Her go-to explorations revolve around thought-provoking concepts, handwritten typography and anything hands-on, which is evident in her thesis project. Sherifa aspires to perpetually feed her curiosity by discovering new ways to express herself.
Sherifa Eletrebi is currently the Graphic Designer for Special Projects and Website Content at The Gallery at VCUarts Qatar.
sherifaeletrebi.myportfolio.com
https://qatar.vcu.edu/bfa-mfa-thesis-2022/sherifa-eletrebi
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