Qatari artist Ahmed AlMaadheed is known for creating iconic work celebrating his country’s history and traditions. He tells Esquire how he found inspiration for his latest paintings through a collaboration with Vacheron Constantin.
It is late afternoon when I finally catch up with Ahmed AlMaadheed. He’s sitting behind the steering wheel of his SUV at a gas station in Doha. AlMaadheed is a busy man. It isn’t often an artist can claim to have created something that becomes part of their nation’s iconography. The Qatari artist can do just that, and he is only 32 years old. Tamim Al Majed (Tamim the Glorious), his portrait of the Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has become a symbol of national pride – finding its way onto everything from the side of skyscrapers to shop windows.
On AlMaadheed’s website, a banner reads ‘the man who painted history.’ Over the phone I ask him what role he thinks artists have played in his country’s history. “An artist’s role is to bear witness to history through emotion and expression”, he says. “It’s recording a moment in time. The artist’s role is important, whether it’s in Qatar or anywhere else. We met our ancestors through their drawings.”
Like many artists, AlMaadheed didn’t immediately believe it was a viable career option. “I started professionally in 2009, until then it had been a hobby,” he says of his art and design practice. “You work hard to make these things exist, which is why I had to become a professional.” Speaking to him, it’s clear that from the beginning of the switch to full-time creative work, he enjoyed every part of the process – from initial sketch to large-scale execution. He just went from project to project, following his creative impulses. “I wanted to make a comic book. I wanted to make an animated series. So I did it and I started to gain experience. Developing my skills was very important to me. I got to painting through the same journey.”
I wonder what changed that day over a decade ago that made him think of this as a job rather than a hobby — was it a supportive friend or family member? The answer was simpler, more personal. “I never say ‘no’. I always say ‘I don’t know’. It’s my way of learning. So I had these drawings I was doing and I posted them,” AlMaadheed adds matter-of-fact. As has become something of a rite of passage for an entire generation, the transition was made possible with some social media-assisted encouragement – and a healthy dose of serendipity. Once his work was public, brands eventually reached out to ask him to work on projects. He found out he needed a media and advertising license to operate in the space in Qatar. So he got that. And he just kept building from there from one experience to the next, until he became part of the creative marketing of huge events such as the Asian Cup that took place in Qatar in 2011. “I started to believe in myself more. I thought if I have an idea no one can steal it and even if they do they won’t do it like me. They might do it better even, but it won’t be done with the same feeling.”
Given that he has approached the creative world as both an advertiser and an artist, I’m curious to know what he keeps for his personal practice versus what he does with a more commercial mindset. “The output is the same – it is creativity. If you have talent and taste, you can approach anything with creativity. Then you decide how to use that creativity – for commerce, for social impact.”
Sometimes, you get to combine those things. On one of his first jobs he designed the mascot and characters for the Asian Cup – “it was my dream coming true,” he admits. He later made the accompanying television commercial. That in turn led to a comic book based on those characters, then an animated television series. His policy of never saying ‘no’ seemed to be working out as he went from project to project.
As is standard in Qatar, you’re never too far from a sports story. And that holds true with AlMaadheed. After designing the Asian Games mascot, he did it again for the Arab Games. He created the visual identity for Qatar Sports Day and the Al Galayel Championship – a desert-set hunting and falconry competition that is tied to the country’s history and traditions. There’s a playfulness and versatility to AlMaadheed’s work, from his character design to his larger scale painting. But even in success, restlessness crept in and he found himself looking for a new challenge. That’s when his fine art practice came in.
His viral piece Tamim Al Majed (Tamim the Glorious) garnered him nationwide and regional recognition, but his process is the same with any project. “I start the process with research, a dialogue with myself, and questioning. I start writing out the idea. Then I sketch. Then comes the execution. The hardest part is the sketching and planning. Because it can often be so far away from the execution.”
AlMaadheed’s latest artistic collaboration brings him together with Swiss watchmaker Vacheron Constantin and its partner Alfardan Jewelery Group. He has created two new paintings – North and Hard to Get – inspired by the Maison that will be displayed in its new Doha boutique at Place Vendôme. With this latest affiliation, Vacheron Constantin continues its tradition of bridging the worlds of watchmaking and fine art, working with the only Qatari artist to have exhibited in the Qatar Museum to date.
“The mission of merging our Maison’s heritage with a sincere appreciation for the fine arts has come to life through our ongoing and numerous collaborations,” says Christophe Ramel, Regional Director for the Middle East, India and Africa at Vacheron Constantin. “Most recently, our partnership with the Louvre [in Paris] where we unveiled the Métiers d’Art collection – a tribute to great civilizations is a testament to Vacheron Constantin’s unwavering dedication to supporting artistic craft. We are delighted to see the pairing of watchmaking and fine art continue in Qatar with Ahmed’s collaboration.”
“I thought for months about what I would do,” says AlMaadheed about the pieces created in collaboration with the brand. “You have to let the idea mature in your mind.” He followed his usual process, taking time to research and understand. “It’s like watching a film, when you read about Vacheron Constantin’s history. I took in all the details. It made me love the brand.” AlMaadheed had a front-row seat to the 267-year-old brand. “We were also able to provide him with a detailed brand induction where we showcased the heritage of the Maison and offered him access to some brand archives for true inspiration,” says Ramel. “The result is very interesting to see how he has created a parallel between Vacheron Constantin and the North Sea that surrounds Qatar.”
The pieces that resulted from the collaboration are striking. North is AlMaadheed’s tribute to Qatar’s North Sea, pairing the uniqueness of its sea creatures with those of Vacheron Constantin’s iconic watches. The second piece, Hard to Get is a homage to the treasures the sea contains – which have proven a boon to his country. “They are smart,” says AlMaadheed of his working relationship With Vacheron Constantin. “They knew that they had to leave me the space to make something I would like. Which is the right way to deal with an artist. It becomes a mutually beneficial relationship. They gave me freedom.”
Ahmed AlMaadheed’s pieces are on show at Vacheron Constantin, Place Vendôme, Qatar. Vacheron Constantin and Alfardan Jewellery are long-time partners in Qatar. Find more here.
Lead image: Watch by Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Complete Calendar
Photography by Daniel Asater
Styling by Laura Jane Brown
Grooming by Aldo Coppola Qatar
Read more in the latest edition of Esquire in Qatar, on newsstands now
