Unless you have been living under a rock for the past one month, chances are that you have seen the graphic art image of HH The Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani titled ‘Tamim Al Majd’ or ‘Tamim The Glorious.’

The artwork, done by Qatari artist Ahmed Al Maadheed, went viral on social media and quickly became the mark of Qatari and expatriate populations’ love for HH The Emir. They devised different ways to show their love for HH The Emir.

Tamim Al Majd first gained attention when Al Maadheed posted it on his social media accounts, without knowing the portrait had gained huge popularity. 

“It wasn’t a new portrait. It was something I’d done much before the crisis. I posted it only to show my feelings of support towards HH The Emir and my pride in being a Qatari. I didn’t expect it to go viral,” he said.

And now, an exhibition of Ahmed’s works have opened at the W Doha Hotel and Residences and it will go on until September 10.

The exhibition showcases 35 of his art works, some of which he had created much before the crises started and some over the last three weeks. Most of the paintings express patriotism and have titles such as Respect, The Giver, Pride and Silence, among others.

“The sole objective of the exhibition is to show respect to the nation and express my gratitude for all that the country has given to us. The fact that the portrait is seen all over the houses, cars and social media platforms, is a proof that even expats in Qatar feel like at home.” 

Maadheed, who is also the founder of Notion Media LLC, has been involved in many media-related projects such as making of animations, tv series, advertisements and media campaigns.