“SAKHA” works by leading Qatari artist Yousef Ahmad

Born in 1955 in Doha, Qatar, Yousef Ahmad obtained a bachelor’s degree in arts and education from Helwan University in Egypt in 1976 and a master’s degree in fine arts from Mills College, California, in 1982. Ahmad was appointed as the Head of the Department of Fine Arts at the Ministry of Information and taught art history, drawing fundamentals and art appreciation at Qatar University, a position he held for more than 20 years. He serves as an adviser to Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art and Qatar Foundation, and works as an art consultant for many exhibitions in the Arab world. He has played a significant role in building the collection that later became Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art.

His works create meticulous abstractions that blend Arabic lines, inspired by the vast desert landscape of Qatar. Ahmad recalls drawing on the walls of his neighbourhood using charcoal remnants from the stove when he was a child. In his ongoing artistic practice, he has dedicated himself to shaping a local aesthetic, drawing inspiration from the natural environment through his choices of colour, texture and materials, which he often crafts himself.