The late sculptor’s permanent East-West/West-East installation will forever stand as a testament to his world-recognised creative vision.

The art and sculpting world mourns the immense loss of Richard Serra, whose death reverberates globally. The American visionary was 85 years old.

Members of the Qatar Museums (QM) conglomerate expressed their condolences touching on the artist’s impactful legacy.

In a post via Instagram, Qatar’s Sheikha Al Mayassa, the Chairperson of QM, shared a photograph of her and the late sculptor and said he was “a true giant in the art world.”

“His towering works standing proud in Qatar’s landscape are a testament to his lasting legacy and genius,” the Qatari royal added.

A separate post on the QM’s Instagram account read: “Qatar Museum was saddened to hear of Richard Serra’s passing… Our deepest condolences to his family and the entire art world.”

Sinem Yoruk, the Head of Exhibitions and Project Management at Tasweer also took to Instagram to remember the sculptor, uploading a photograph of Serra’s East-West/West-East in his memory.

A visionary sculpted into Qatar’s history

The late sculptor achieved international icon status for crafting towering structures and arcs, employing spirals and ellipses welded in Cor-Ten steel. He also gained recognition for experimenting with rubber, latex, neon, and molten lead.

His creative skill has also sculpted his name into Qatar’s history with his permanent art installation at the Brouq Nature Reserve near Zekreet: East-West/West-East.

Unveiled by Sheikha Al Mayassa in 2014, the art installation commissioned by QM marked a departure from their usual repertoire at the time.

Giving spectators an insight into his vision, the artist himself said, “The placement (of the pieces) is not geometrical, it’s topological; they can only be placed where they are to achieve the curvature of the land. If one walks through the pieces; he will understand not only the rhythm of himself in relationship to the landscape but also the rhythm of himself in relationship to the height and the length of the pieces.”

The placement of East-West/West-East was also especially sentimental for Serra.

Speaking to Doha News in 2014, he said that he was “grateful to the Father Emir, Sheikh Hamad, who walked around the area with me. He told me that when he was a little boy, his uncles would bring him out there – it was where the antelope gathered. He was very very nostalgic for that. So he recognised that the place had a specific aura. It moved me that he was moved by it.”