Qatar- Young artist holds workshop, raises breast cancer awareness

(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Breast Cancer Awareness Month is an annual international health campaign organised by major breast cancer charities to increase awareness about the disease and to raise funds for research, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure.
In Qatar, there have been various events organised to raise awareness about the breast cancer among women. Fraser Suites West Bay recently organised a workshop ‘Power of Pink' to create awareness about the deadly disease. The other purpose of the workshop was to raise funds for Qatar Cancer Society and help the cancer patients.
Amber Rauf, a young Pakistani artist and surface designer, conducted the workshop. The workshop was attended by a good number of women. Amber is a professionally trained contemporary artist and art educator and has been running unique and creative skill-learning workshops and master classes every month, since 2016. For the month of October, Amber conducted educational events to support breast cancer awareness and Qatar Cancer Society.
Talking to Community, the young artist said, 'I gave an introduction to the contemporary art style and colour psychology. The event was to show support for the breast cancer awareness month ‘Pink October.' The workshop was also related to the art therapy focusing on mental health.
Amber, is a graduate from Aptech Qatar in Multimedia Graphic Design with specialisation from Virginia Commonwealth University Qatar. She further said, 'First of all, I covered the topic of contemporary art. Working in a wide range of mediums, contemporary artists often reflect and comment on modern-day society. The term contemporary art refers to the art made and produced by the artists of today time. Today's artists work in and respond to a global environment that is culturally diverse, technologically advancing, and multifaceted. The contemporary art has mainly two characteristics; abstract art and expressionism. Using the contemporary art, the artists can highlight and create awareness about the breast cancer and I tried to teach this very technique during the workshop.
Regarding the art therapy, Amber who was born and brought up in Qatar, said, 'Creativity is important to us to make sense of our thoughts. It helps us to get connected with our feelings. The artistic creativity also helps in relieving stress and reducing anxiety. Expressing through art work, for what is hard to put in words, relaxes and quieten our minds and helps us concentrate on positive things. I explained to the participants that indulging in artistic activities can help the people facing health problems. They can share their feelings through paintings, drawings and sketches.
Speaking about pink colour psychology, she said, 'Pink is a sign of hope. It is a positive colour inspiring warm and comforting feelings. It gives a sense that everything will be okay. Studies have confirmed that exposure to large amount of pink colour can have a calming effect on the nerves. That is why the pink ribbon is an international symbol of breast cancer awareness.
She added, 'At the workshop, we also had fund raising activities. We displayed many hand-made items, including dolls for children. We will give away the hand-made things to the cancer patients and the money generated to Qatar Cancer Society.
Commenting on the usefulness of the workshop, Sabi Beauty, owner of a professional makeup academy, said: 'The workshop was very professional. I enjoyed each bit of it and when it comes to a noble cause of raising breast cancer awareness, no doubt everything was arranged very well. Amber Rauf explained different things and their relevance to breast cancer awareness in a professional way. I really enjoyed attending the workshop.
Layali Mangil, a professional blogger, also appreciated the awareness workshop. She said: 'The workshop was an amazing experience where we all got together to support a common cause of breast cancer. The evening was so creative where we learnt the art of canvas painting and techniques which were well explained in detail by the expert. Learning contemporary painting styles and colour psychology was a completely new experience for me. Amber is a real talent and I wish her success for her future endeavours.

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