Artist Yousef Ahmad’s works are inspired by his
love for the motherland. By Umer Nangiana
He is both original and inventive. Using natural environment-friendly means of producing raw material for his work and getting inspiration for his ideas from objects in his native land, he has truly established his own individual identity.
Acknowledging his originality and prominence among the artistic fraternity, the Qatar Museums (QM), soon after exhibiting iconic works of renowned foreign artist Richard Serra, has put on display the works of Qatar’s very own internationally acclaimed artist Yousef Ahmad. The exhibition called Yousef Ahmad: Story of Ingenuity is currently on display at QM Gallery in Katara Building 10 and will go on till February 15 next year.
Featuring artworks from his early career in the 1970s to present, the exhibition demonstrates three phases in Ahmad’s artistic development; the early oil paintings that include the historic depiction of Al Zubarah Fort, mixed media calligraphic pieces and then his new conceptual artworks presenting his ability in developing an innovative artistic style.
“As a local artist who has had the privilege to train abroad, I find so much in our environment that excites and inspires me. What’s more, the opportunity to share my works with the people of Qatar is inspiring and humbling, and I hope that my journey encourages future generations of local artists to follow their creative dreams,” said Ahmad while commenting on the exhibition.
“I’m proud to play an important part in the development of our country’s artistic community and I look forward to seeing it evolve and develop at this incredibly important time,” he said.
As a pioneer of Qatar’s modern art movement, Ahmad’s artistic journey has spanned more than three decades and his work has been influenced by his surroundings and emotional ties with Qatar’s culture and traditions.
Ahmad is renowned for his distinct and flexible style and his mastery of different media – from charcoal to calligraphy and oil painting earlier in his career. His strong affection for Qatar is evident both in the inspiration he draws from the country in his work but also the media and materials he uses.
As he describes it, his work celebrates the gentle quietness of Qatar’s sea, the flat expanses of its desert and the serene openness of the sky. His connection is strengthened by his use of materials including local palm trees from which he produces handmade paper and in using desert pigments from the earth of Qatar to create rustic effects.
Inspired by the forms and the hues of the flat desert landscape of his native Qatar and by Arabic calligraphy, Ahmad’s paintings are often collages of mixed-media works, colours and textures. Lines are elongated across the canvas or wood, and letters and patterns are layered with architectural shapes. He searched within these materials for what can best express his feelings represented in the sea, sky and land of Qatar.
Born in Qatar in 1955, Ahmad developed his initial interest in art in his school years, travelling to Egypt after graduation to study art education at Cairo (now Helwan) University. Upon his return in 1976, his first government appointment was as Head of Art and Exhibitions within the Ministry of Information. This key post involved the organisation of exhibitions as well as providing support to and promoting Qatar’s artists. As an artist himself, Ahmad had by then found his creative niche; practicing and developing the art of calligraphy.
Early in his career, the Qatari artist began to explore the shape and form of calligraphy by focusing on his own visual interpretation of Arabic script in his paintings. In 1979, he travelled to the USA to complete a master’s degree, specialising in painting.
Returning to Qatar, Ahmed taught art appreciation at Qatar University (QU), a post he held for more than 20 years. With Mohammed Ali Abdulla and Hassan al-Mulla, he formed the art group The Three Friends.
Upon visiting Japan, Yousef became fascinated with Japanese handmade paper and began incorporating this into his work. His most recent paintings have been produced on paper hand-made from Qatari palm fronds that he creates himself, adding a unique, loved, three-dimensional brilliance to his work.
Yousef Ahmad’s keen interest in recording and archiving the development of Qatari art, as well as the fact that he has regularly represented his country at international biennials and events globally, has given him a special standing as an artist, art advisor, and writer.
