Old Building

Portrayals of the old neighborhoods have accompanied the leading Qatari artist Yousef Ahmad throughout various phases of his artistic career. This attachment to old buildings reflects the artist’s encounter with the profound changes in local urban life since the 1970s, driven by the rapid modernisation of Qatar. In Ahmad’s work, architectural structures morph into icons symbolising change, longing, and memory.

Remarkably, in this piece, Ahmad emphasises the coexistence of the old neighborhood and the surrounding desert environment, despite the visual contrast between rectangular and curvilinear forms. Through his treatment of light and colour he evokes a serene moment in time, perhaps capturing the early moments of sunrise, which further reinforces a sense of unity among the painting’s formal elements