Yousef Ahmad

He has been teaching art appreciation at Qatar University 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.

He is particularly known for producing large-scale works, using a wide range of colors and materials. Various natural landscapes, such as deserts, marshes and ponds, are usually the main subjects of his paintings. He states that such themes reflect on Al Jasrah, 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.

By the time Ahmad finished primary school, the Ministry of Education began offering scholarships Qatari artists to study abroad in Europe and the Middle East. He received a BA in Fine Art and Education from Helwan University in 1976. He studied under Gazbia Sirry during part of his tenure. He obtained a Master of Fine Arts degree from Mills College in California in 1982.

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.

Yousef Ahmad (Arabic: يوسف أحمد ‎; born 1955 in Doha, Qatar) is a Qatari 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.