Ahmed Muqeem

Biography

Ahmed Muqeem is a Kuwaiti artist who has completed many works in the field of oil painting and drawings. He has many achievements in the State of Kuwait, the most important of which are the projects on the history of Aircraft of Kuwait, He has completed 10 paintings that are held at Kuwait’s International Airport “transit area”. In 2015, he was selected to be the painter for one of the most famous Kuwaiti actors Abdul Hussain Abdul Radha (1939 – 2017), the painting is now located at Abdul Hussain Abdul Radha’s theatre. In 2018, he was chosen to paint Sheikh Saud Al-Nasser Al-Sabah (1944 – 2012), the ambassador of Kuwait in the USA, the painting is now shown at the Diplomatic Institute of Kuwait. Ahmed Muqeem has painted many portraits of the Kuwaiti royal family ‘ Al Sabah ‘. In 2018, he was selected to paint his highness the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah, and his highness the crown prince of Kuwait Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah, the paintings are Now held at Kuwait’s International airport (Terminal 4).

The Art

Ahmed Muqeem has many inspired works of art showcased in many galleries, locally and internationally collected by local and international art collectors. When Ahmed was asked what his inspiration was behind painting on this dial he said “In this project, I have created a portrait of Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah the 13th Amir of Kuwait as a symbol of elegance and presence. The golden background represents the sand of Kuwait”. This portrait was Ahmed’s most difficult to do ever. He faced challenges with the details of the portrait of the Sheikh but managed to overcome them with a successfully finished painting. Ahmed used acrylic paint as the base color and oil paints as the final layer, using detailed brushes to achieve the final result. This took approximately 3 days to complete.

The Collection

Designs agreed with the artist, ready for allocation and made to order.

Ahmed Muqeem’s work is characterised by precision, restraint, and a strong sense of cultural reverence. His paintings focus primarily on portraiture and historical subjects, translating figures of national significance into compositions that emphasise dignity, presence, and permanence. The work balances realism with symbolism, allowing each subject to carry both visual authority and emotional weight.

Portraits form a central pillar of the practice. Through careful attention to facial structure, expression, and proportion, Muqeem captures not only likeness but character. His approach avoids excess, relying instead on controlled composition and refined detail to communicate status and legacy.

In one of his most demanding works, Muqeem produced a portrait of Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah as a symbol of elegance and leadership. A gold-toned background was used to reference the sands of Kuwait, grounding the portrait in place and heritage while reinforcing its sense of stature. The complexity of the subject presented significant challenges, particularly in achieving accuracy and depth, which were resolved through meticulous layering and disciplined execution.

The painting was created using acrylic paint as a base, followed by oil paints to build richness and dimension. Fine brushes were used throughout to achieve a highly detailed finish. The result is a composed and authoritative work that reflects Muqeem’s technical control and his commitment to honouring subject, culture, and form.