Yousef Ahmad ( ar, يوسف أحمد; born 1955 in

Doha Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor, it is home to most of the coun ...

, Qatar) is a

Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...

i artist, art adviser, collector, writer and educator in the field of art. He is a leading figure of Qatar's cultural development and regularly represent his country at international biennials and events. His art work has been displayed internationally.

Early life and education

Ahmad was born in

Al Jasrah Al Jasrah ( ar, الجسرة) is a district in Qatar, located in the municipality of Ad Dawhah. It hosts Souq Waqif, one of the largest souqs in Qatar. Other points of interest in the district include Souq Jaidah, the Souq Waqif Falcon Hospita ...

, a suburb of

, to a family of 3 sisters and 2 brothers. His mother was Maryam Al Baker, and his father, Ahmad Al-Homaid, worked as a pearl diver before joining

Qatar Petroleum QatarEnergy ( ar, قطر للطاقة), formerly Qatar Petroleum (QP), is a state owned petroleum company of Qatar. The company operates all oil and gas activities in Qatar, including exploration, production, refining, transport, and storage. The ...

. By the time Ahmad finished primary school, the Ministry of Education began offering scholarships to Qatari artists to study abroad in Europe and the Middle East. He received a BA in Fine Art and Education from

Helwan University Helwan University is a public university based in Helwan, Egypt, which is part of Greater Cairo on over . It comprises 23 faculties and two higher institutes in addition to 50 research centers. Overview Helwan University is a member of the E ...

in 1976. He studied under Gazbia Sirry during part of his tenure. He obtained a

Master of Fine Arts A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.) is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts admini ...

degree from

Mills College Mills College at Northeastern University is a private college in Oakland, California and part of Northeastern University's global university system. Mills College was founded as the Young Ladies Seminary in 1852 in Benicia, California; it was ...

in California in 1982.

Career as an artist

His works have been described as realistic, because they document the local Qatari environment and traditions of its people. He became active in creating unique abstract paintings of Arabic calligraphy, which he develops through his personal interpretation of Arabic script. Since 1974, he has used textiles in his art works. These are primarily old-fashioned fabrics, which he feels is representative of what his ancestors wore. He is particularly known for producing large-scale works, using a wide range of colors and materials.Biography from Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art
Various natural landscapes, such as deserts, marshes and ponds, are usually the main subjects of his paintings. He states that such themes reflect on

, the neighborhood where he grew up. In 1977, he became the first Qatari artist to have a solo exhibition dedicated to huryfiyya art in Doha. He has been teaching art appreciation at

Qatar University Qatar University ( ar, جامعة قطر; transliterated: Jami'at Qatar) is a public research university located on the northern outskirts of Doha, Qatar. It is the only public university in the country. The university hosts ten colleges – Arts ...

for more than twenty years. He also published a book, in 1986. It is called ''Al-Funoon at-Tashkeeliyyah al-Mu'aasirah fee Qatar (Contemporary Fine Arts in Qatar)'', and it documents pioneering artists, organizations and institutions at the time.

Career in Qatari government

After his graduation, he was first appointed as manager of the Culture and Arts Department within the Ministry of Information. While he was teaching at Qatar University, Ahmad met Sheikh

Hassan bin Mohamed bin Ali Al Thani Sheikh Hassan bin Mohamed bin Ali Al Thani (born in 1960 in Doha) A prominent member of the Qatari royal family and the grandson of the former King of Qatar is a Qatari artist, collector, researcher, and educator in the field of modern art from th ...

. He worked with him to

collect The collect ( ) is a short general prayer of a particular structure used in Christian liturgy. Collects appear in the liturgies of Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, Methodist, Lutheran, and Presbyterian churches, among oth ...

significant works of Arab art from Qatar and abroad. This led to the creation of the Orientalist Museum and Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art.Yousef Ahmad Art Story

Awards

*Baghdad International Festival for Arts ::Winner: 1986 *Ankara Biennial ::Referee's Award: 1986 *GCC Artists Exhibitions ::Gold Palm-Leaf: 1989, 1991, 1996, 1999 *First Tourists Exhibition (Doha) ::First prize: 1993 *Cairo Biennale ::Referee's Award: 1996, 1998 *Al Kharafi First International Biennial of Contemporary Arab Art ::Referee's Award: 2006

External links

About Yousef Ahmad

Yousef Ahmad on artnet

References