The Peninsula
A few days back, thousands of Al Annabi supporters gathered at Lusail Boulevard to show their support for the team. The fans were in for a surprise when an artist did a painting of Qatar captain Hassan Al Haydos live at the venue.
"I love football. Ethiopians are football fanatics, we take football seriously back home, however, we are doing better in Athletics,” Doha-based Ethiopian artist Tessema Asrate, who did the live painting, told The Peninsula.
Tessema, who is also the Ambassador of the African art community in Qatar, recalled how he jumped for joy in 2010 when Qatar won the bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, “I was very happy and very hopeful that Ethiopia will make it to the World Cup finals because it would be double the joy to see our national team playing in my host country, but luck is still not on our side.”
With Ethiopia not making it to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Tessema was convinced he would cheer and wave the flag of his second home, Qatar.
“My full support is with Team Qatar. Besides, I have long shown my support to Qatar through my art depicting Qatar and the World Cup.”
Tessema said that when Qatar was officially announced as the World Cup host country, he started to give tribute to Qatar and the World Cup through his paintings and artworks.
“I tried to find ways on how I can show my support to Qatar, and as an artist, I know I can do so by using my skills in painting, so when I learned about the 'Qatar National Team Mega Meetup' of fans and supporters, I immediately prepared my art tools, packed my bag, and headed to Lusail Boulevard.”
True indeed, Tessema was one of the thousands of supporters who flocked to Lusail on Tuesday to display love and support for Al Annabi.
With his canvas and stuff, he settled in one area along the boulevard and started a live painting performance to the delight of many fans.
"I feel really glad when people appreciate my work. They especially admire my work since it's about Qatar and the World Cup. Most of my paintings have the map of Qatar, and I drew inspiration from the blockade that happened years back, he said."
"I want the global audience to see Qatar as a small country that is resilient and with so many big and great things to offer."
Tessema who is a regular participant in the annual Qatar International Art Festival said that people will see more of him and his works, as he will do live painting sessions during the World Cup.
"I will be at different Fan Zones during the tournament. People can watch me do live painting performances and I can also share tips about my style in painting," he said.
Tessema has participated in a number of art exhibitions and competitions and has received awards, including those held in Ethiopia, Djibouti, France, Sweden, Italy, Holland, Ireland, the UK, and Qatar.
When asked about how he thinks Team Qatar will fare at the World Cup, he said: "Of course, as a resident of 14 years, I want Qatar to win. But win or lose, Qatar is already a winner with all the many things it accomplished while preparing for the tournament."
"I encourage everyone to cheer for Team Qatar, to support Al Annabi all the way, and to enjoy this great, great tournament!"