Turquoise City by Mark Handforth

This site-specific sculpture was inspired by the energy and aesthetics of Doha.

Share with a friend

Mark Handforth (b. 1969) is a British-born sculptor who works in Miami, Florida. He is among a group of international sculptors that emerged in the early 2000s and who often manipulate found objects to create playful works of art.

A site-specific piece, Turquoise City is a response to the artist’s visit to Msheireb Downtown Doha. Irregularly chopped and jauntily stacked, this monumental sculpture forms an abstract yet organic spiral made from urban and industrial matter. Turquoise City suggests the inevitable curling motion of winding and unwinding, much like the unfolded beginnings of life.

Inspired by the brightly colored ceramics found in the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Handforth has adapted this noticeably blue sculpture as a focal point amidst the bustle of the city in recognition of Doha’s emerging growth.

A woman walking past a large light blue pipe sculpture.

Mark Handforth's Turquoise City in Msheireb Downtown Doha. Photo: Shaikha Aisha Hamad AlThani, courtesy of Qatar Museums ©2022