Two Photographers Explore the Art of Vision

There is a particular intimacy to the artist’s studio, especially when a photographer opens the doors to share not simply the finished work, but the thinking behind it. On 27 October, Manarat Al Saadiyat welcomes two artists from the fourth cohort of Spectrum Photographers in Residence: Khadija Hamid and Mariia Pertseva, who will explore the paths that have shaped their vision and their practice.

The evening unfolds as a conversation rather than a lecture. Both artists will trace their creative journeys, articulating the methods and philosophies that inform their work within the Spectrum exhibition. What emerges in such moments is rarely prescriptive. Instead, there is an exchange of ideas, a revealing of process, and an invitation to consider photography not as a technical discipline alone, but as a language through which to understand the world.

The dialogue continues beyond the artists themselves. An open discussion with members of Al Qomra, Manarat Al Saadiyat’s community collective, follows, creating space for visitors to contribute their own observations and questions. This is essential to the life of an art institution: the building of genuine conversation between makers and viewers, the cultivation of curiosity, the recognition that understanding art deepens when we engage with it directly and thoughtfully.

The event welcomes all who wish to attend, regardless of technical expertise or prior experience. There is no prerequisite knowledge required, only the openness to listen, to observe, and to discover new perspectives on the possibilities of the photographic image. The Photography Studio at Manarat Al Saadiyat, within Qomra 1 and 2, becomes for the evening a gathering place for those who think visually and seek to understand how other artists see.