The beginning of a long journey
Long before a visitor stands in front of an artwork, the painting or object has already taken a remarkable, and at times considerable, journey.
Conservation highlights: HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, Emir of Qatar
31 March 2026
Madniya Usman Gani Mozawala
Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art is home to some of the world’s most notable works. Walking into the atrium, there once stood three artworks that struck awe, humility and pride into the hearts of visitors. This is the conservation story of, arguably, the most recognisable portrait in the country, if not the Arab world at large.
Mathaf’s collection team don gloves to avoid damage to the portrait’s paint layer.
In the case of this monumental portrait, HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, Emir of Qatar, 2025, the story begins in a silent studio, thousands of kilometers away. The artist, legendary Chinese painter Yan Pei-Ming, known for his ‘epic-sized’ works, was commissioned by Mathaf for its 15-year anniversary.
After putting his final touches on the portrait, the painting was gently attached onto a custom-made stretcher before being sealed into a crate and sent to Qatar. This process was due to the painting still being wet on delivery.
Yan then flew thousands of miles with the painting, safely landing in Qatar, and launching the next chapter of the artwork’s life, across borders, to inspire a new audience.
Planning for a new arrival
Before welcoming the painting in its new home, conservation and collections management teams at Mathaf had started preparations months in advance.
To begin with, a custom-built crate was produced to protect the artwork from vibration on its travels.
This process is important for many reasons. If artworks are not in crates while travelling, this can cause irreversible damage, including splits in the artwork due to sudden impact, punctures by sharp objects, moisture and humidity can cause mold growth and/or warping of the canvas, colour alterations in paint layers, and even frame and structural damage.
So, the crates provide impact protection, shock absorption, moisture barriers and internal padding, ensuring a safe journey.
Upon arrival of the artwork, light exposures and temperature fluctuations were carefully monitored. Climate, timing, movement and handling conditions were planned at every stage of the installation. Light and temperature fluctuations are monitored because too much UV light can cause fading of pigments, create loss of vibrancy, a breakdown of components in paints and weakened canvas fibres. Temperature fluctuations can create flaking and cracks in paint, weak adhesion between paint layers, sagging or tightening of canvas.
So precarious is the process at times, that not only was Yan Pei-Ming present and ready for the installation, his daughter and one additional member of his team also travelled with the crate and were with the Mathaf team for the stretching and installation of the new treasure.
Artist Yan Pei-Ming and Mathaf’s team carefully handle HH Sheikh Tamim’s portrait as it is prepared for installation.
Our new masterpiece
Along with the installation, we had another challenge of stretching the painting on a stretcher. We custom made this stretcher; the stretcher expands and contracts with fluctuations in humidity and temperature.
The custom support built by Mathaf’s team ahead of the portrait’s arrival.
After stretching the painting on the new support, we carefully started the installation process. The positioning of the painting was naturally predetermined, nestled between the other two existing portraits of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser and His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Amir.
The two older portraits are part of Mathaf’s permanent collection, commissioned in 2010. The paintings together were envisioned to appear like parents looking towards a bright future; similar to Mathaf’s evolutionary journey.
One of the main challenges in this installation was that we were managing a support while the painting was still wet and could not be touched. This is a common challenge in contemporary works because they can be very freshly produced. This is also a common scenario with impasto artworks; this is where thick, textured paint—often oil or acrylic—is used, making visible brush or palette strokes and creating a raised surface that can take years to dry. If these paintings are touched, this can result in deep fingerprint stains and marks which can never be removed.
Teamwork between Yan Pei-Ming and Mathaf’s team as the artwork is prepared for installation.
Gloves were mandatory for this reason. We were also extremely careful to only handle the stretcher and fold over edges, avoiding the paint layer at all costs. Despite these challenges, installations are always fun and unpredictable, and our team is ready to roll embracing each new project and welcoming new members.
Madniya Usman Gani Mozawala is the Paper Conservator at Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art.
Plan Your Visit
As Mathaf is currently undergoing renovations, this artwork is not currently on display. Plan your visit to see the ongoing celebration of Mathaf’s 15 years of modern art prowess, Resolutions.
