Description

The artwork is rooted in the map of the State of Qatar as a central symbol of identity and meaning, while drawing inspiration from a powerful line in the Qatari national anthem:

“Doves in times of peace, falcons in times of sacrifice”

“حمائم يوم السلام .. جوارح يوم الفداء”

Through this verse, the work visually expresses a national spirit shaped by the sensitive political circumstances that affected the Arabian Gulf region, particularly the State of Qatar, during late February through March 2026.

Within the composition, the white birds appear as the doves of peace, symbolizing Qatar’s long-standing association with wisdom, balance, and the pursuit of peace and stability. They are not merely decorative elements, but representations of the country’s calm human spirit and its deep-rooted commitment to peace as a fundamental principle.

In contrast, the falcons in times of sacrifice are embodied through the birds that surround the map and move around it with a strong, watchful presence, suggesting strength whenever duty calls and readiness in the defense of land and sovereignty. Here, the meaning of these guardian birds goes beyond their literal form. They are also inspired by the image of the Ababil birds mentioned in the Qur’an, long understood as a symbol of divine protection, defense, and the repelling of aggression. In this sense, the birds in the painting carry a symbolic force that surpasses form alone, becoming signs of protection, vigilance, and rightful defense.

The work also connects this Qur’anic symbolism to contemporary national reality. These guardian birds may also be read as representing the Qatari Armed Forces, with all that they signify in terms of readiness, discipline, and protection. At the same time, they evoke the symbolism of the F-15 “Ababil” aircraft, whose name itself carries connotations of strength and aerial defense, and which has become part of the nation’s protective presence in the current moment.

The work also extends this symbolic language into the sea through the presence of the whales within the composition. Their inclusion draws from the idea of whales appearing in the northeastern waters of Qatar in the Arabian Gulf, and here they are reimagined as symbols of maritime vigilance, depth, and protective presence. They do not function simply as natural elements, but as visual references to the safeguarding of Qatar’s maritime borders and the importance of naval defense. In this way, the artwork brings together spiritual symbolism and national identity, merging the historical with the contemporary in a visual language that affirms that peace, in the Qatari consciousness, is inseparable from the ability to defend it.

This work does not present the map of Qatar merely as a geographic boundary, but as a homeland surrounded by the will for peace and guarded by the strength of sacrifice. Between the whiteness of the doves, the movement of the guardian birds, and the depth of the whales, the artwork forms a clear message: that Qatar, in its national spirit, is peace when peace is the path, and strength when defense becomes a duty.