Autorretrato (Self-Portrait, 2022) is one of the most compelling art exhibitions currently on view in Qatar, offering a powerful rethinking of what a self-portrait can be in contemporary art. Unveiled by Qatar Museums at Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, the installation marks a major highlight of the museum’s 15th anniversary celebrations. Running from 16 December 2025 to 21 February 2026, the exhibition places Doha firmly at the centre of global conversations around identity, memory, and material culture.
Created by Argentinian artist Gabriel Chaile, Autorretrato moves away from traditional portraiture that relies on facial likeness. Instead, Chaile reimagines the self through sculptural form, using material, texture, and symbolic references to express identity. The work draws deeply on the artist’s Afro-Arab and Indigenous ancestry, reflecting centuries of cultural mixing that followed the Spanish colonisation of the Americas in the 16th century. Identity here is not fixed or singular, but layered, inherited, and shaped over time.
Across many cultures, hair has historically functioned as a marker of identity, status, and belonging. This idea is central to Autorretrato. The sculpture’s surface is covered with clusters of raised forms inspired by hair, referencing the prehistoric Venus of Willendorf, one of the earliest known representations of the human body. These knot-like textures also echo Chaile’s own hair, subtly recalling his Afro-Arab and Latin roots and transforming personal physical traits into a universal sculptural language.
Among these textured surfaces, small eye-shaped impressions emerge on both sides of the sculpture. These eyes establish the work as a self-portrait without ever depicting a face. Chaile describes the piece as a two-headed sculpture, a form commonly found in pre-Hispanic ceramics. Each set of eyes conveys a different emotional tone, introducing a sense of duality and psychological depth. This quiet tension between two expressions brings the work to life, allowing it to feel introspective, dynamic, and deeply human.
Autorretrato is also rooted in Chaile’s long-standing engagement with archaeological ceramics from north-western Argentina. The sculpture’s simplified cone-like shape is inspired by traditional smoking pipes once used in everyday Indigenous practices. Crafted in adobe clay, a material historically used in Indigenous architecture and pottery across the Americas, the work physically grounds identity in the earth. Through this material choice, Chaile connects the body, memory, and land, reinforcing the idea that identity is shaped as much by place as by lineage.
Chaile refers to this approach as a “Genealogy of Form,” where ancestral knowledge, material history, and contemporary experience intersect. Autorretrato becomes a map where the individual and the collective meet, preserving memory while speaking directly to the present moment. It is both intensely personal and broadly resonant, inviting viewers to reflect on their own histories and inherited identities.
Installed in Mathaf’s performance space, the work reflects Qatar Museums’ ongoing commitment to cultural exchange and contemporary artistic practice. The exhibition is also part of the Qatar, Argentina, and Chile 2025 Years of Culture, a national initiative that fosters international collaboration and celebrates shared creativity and heritage. Its presentation aligns with Evolution Nation, an 18-month campaign marking Qatar’s cultural journey over the past 50 years and positioning the country as a global hub for art, culture, and creativity.
HE Sheikha Reem Al Thani has highlighted how the installation demonstrates the transformative role of public art in connecting audiences with contemporary creative practice, encouraging reflection on ancestry, heritage, and the ways personal and collective identities are intertwined. Zeina Arida, Director of Mathaf, has described Autorretrato as a work that brings together material memory and lived experience in a way that feels both deeply personal and universally meaningful, making it especially fitting for the museum’s anniversary year and its future focus on ceramic art.
Exhibition Information at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Exhibition Title | Autorretrato (Self-Portrait, 2022) |
| Artist | Gabriel Chaile |
| Type | Contemporary sculpture installation |
| Venue | Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha |
| Organised By | Qatar Museums |
| Exhibition Dates | 16 December 2025 – 21 February 2026 |
| Material | Adobe clay |
| Artistic Focus | Identity, ancestry, memory, material culture |
| Key Visual Elements | Hair-inspired textures, dual eye impressions |
| Cultural References | Venus of Willendorf, pre-Hispanic ceramics, Indigenous Argentine forms |
| Part of | Mathaf 15th Anniversary |
| Associated Initiatives | Years of Culture Qatar–Argentina–Chile 2025, Evolution Nation |
Autorretrato at Mathaf is not simply an exhibition to see, but an experience to engage with. It challenges conventional ideas of portraiture, replaces likeness with memory, and transforms ancestry into form. For anyone searching for a meaningful art exhibition in Doha, this installation stands out as one of the most thought-provoking cultural moments in Qatar’s 2025–2026 art calendar.
