Born: 1952, Bahrain
Died: NA
Country most active: Qatar
Also known as: Arabic: وفيقة سلطان العيسى
Described as a pioneer of modern art in Qatar, Wafika Sultan Al-Essa is one of the first women in the country to study art and be a professional artist in the modern era. Her work is influenced by Qatari folklore, folk songs, proverbs and natural history, Islamic art (particularly her calligraphic work) and symbiosis.
Al-Essa graduated from Cairo University (now Helwan University) with a BA in applied art in 1974, having received a scholarship from the Qatari government. Specialising in painting and plastic arts, she had participated in local art exhibitions since 1972, but her interest in plastics was initially held back by conservative views in her country. She attended international events over the following years, including the second Arab Artists’ Federation exhibition (Morocco, 1976), the fifth and sixth exhibitions of Arab artists (Kuwait), and the Qatari Art Exhibitions (Paris-London, 1978 and Tunis, 1979). Joining the Qatari Fine Arts Society shortly after it was founded in 1980, she attended their 1981 and 1982 exhibitions.
Al-Essa’s work has been featured in official international exhibitions organised by the emir of Qatar, and she was one of two female Qatari artists to have their pieces displayed in Doha’s Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art in 2011. Her works were later made part of the museum’s permanent displays. She was also featured in the museum’s “Lived Forward: Art and Culture in Doha from 1960–2020” exhibition. Her works were also exhibited at Doha’s Fire Station in 2022.
In 2014, Al-Essa was named best Qatari artist by the Arab Woman Awards.
Al-Essa owns an architecture and design consultancy firm, and has also worked for Qatar TV as a production designer, and in Qatar’s Cairo embassy.