“The Story of a Ball” canvas unveiled by the Ministry of Culture

The largest painting on canvas in the world by the artist Emad Al Salehi, was unveiled by the Ministry of Culture at Qatar University yesterday. The 9,652 sq metre artwork, equivalent to the size of a football field, is titled "The Story of a Ball" and was adjudged as the largest art canvas by the Guinness Book of Records officials.

The Iranian artist Emad Salehi achieved this landmark achievement in Doha on December 7, 2022, and thanked the Qatar Ministry of Culture for its help. The artwork was his attempt to highlight the World Cup 2022 in Qatar.  The painting tells the history of the World Cup from its inception in 1930 until the World Cup 2022, which combines culture, history and sports and embodies the landmarks and icons of all the World Cup tournaments in Qatar.

The unveiling of the artwork came when the country is amid the FIFA World Cup Qatar and as it prepares to celebrate its National Day on December 18, 2022.

A video was shown at the inaugural ceremony, about the stages of completion of the huge artwork, after which the Guinness Book of Records certificate was handed over, marking its entry into the record book, in the presence of the Ministry of Culture officials and media.