Mashael Al Hejazi’s installation at Barahat Al Jufairi’s majlis honours the social and architectural character of this historic district of Doha and the collective memories and narratives of the Al Baraha community. The majlis is a place for social gathering that welcomes people in - and into - the neighbourhood. Al Hejazi breathes life back into this prominent place with her portraiture of family members and poetically draws the neighbouring streets into the space with her cyanotype prints of architectural details and street scenes from Al Baraha. The overarching theme of her work is to re-inhabit this traditional Qatari place with the characteristics of a loving home and family, interwoven through the connecting spaces of the majlis, the mother’s room, and the liwan (courtyard).
Mashael Al Hejazi has been making photographs about the Msheireb area for the past eight years. Her photographic exploration began with her walks through the district which led to her realisation that this was a place that was embedded in her earliest memories. It was where her grandfather’s house was located and where she had lived during a period of her childhood.
The majlis is a place for social gathering that welcomes people in - and into - the neighbourhood. Al Hejazi breathes life back into this prominent place with her portraiture of family members and poetically draws the neighbouring streets into the space with her cyanotype prints of architectural details and street scenes from Al Baraha. The overarching theme of her work is to re-inhabit this traditional Qatari place with the characteristics of a loving home and family, interwoven through the connecting spaces of the majlis, the mother’s room, and the liwan.
“ My ongoing documentation project centres on historic Qatari neighbourhoods. In the beginning, I was focused on the district of Msheireb because that is where I spent my childhood. I feel a connection to this place, and I have many beautiful memories. ”- Mashael Al Hejazi
The Majlis
The majlis is the first room that is naturally entered when walking into the courtyard of a household. It acts as an introductory space that was historically shared with guests, and where pleasantries were exchanged. Mashael Al Hejazi’s portraits are intentionally taken from a close-up vantage point, representing the experience of laughter that is shared between friends and family. Al Hejazi captures these expressions of friendship and kinship across all ages, reintegrating the men of the family and close relatives into the majlis.
Mother’s Room, Lulwa
A mother’s room is a cherished place that members of the family gravitate towards.
It exudes a maternal ambiance of warmth and tenderness, and acts as a safe haven
where concerns can be raised and heard. Commanding the room is a large photograph of a matriarch who stands tall, calmness and compassion hidden behind her batoola. It is the space that children and grandchildren prefer to be in when she is around. Spread through this space are photographs of youngsters taken at spontaneous moments, where they seemingly forget that the artist was present with her camera and are at ease in this familiar atmosphere.
“ I let my memories direct my attention to the details of a door or window because no matter how much it changed and the building started to decay naturally, the door and window frame remained strong. ”- Mashael Al Hejazi
The Blue Room
The final room of Mashael Al Hejazi’s installation features a collection of cyanotype prints of the Al Baraha neighbourhood. They are part of her long-term photographic project that captures the changes in the area, using one of the earliest photographic processes invented in the 19th century with its distinct cyan blue colouration. Al Hejazi’s photographic investigation of this historic area began when she was trying to find her father’s former house that she then developed into a timely documentation of the many homes that are now being preserved, changed, altered and reused in the neighbourhood.
The installation is initiated and organised by Tasweer in partnership with Qatar Museums’ Cultural Heritage Protection Department.