Past Exhibitions

Ahmed Zaidan is a Saudi visual artist and educator whose multidisciplinary practice spans drawing, painting, illustration, and design. Working across watercolor, pastel, pen and ink, pencil, acrylic, oil, and other media, his work explores subjects ranging from figure and landscape to movement, Saudi heritage, culture, and identity. His artwork is characterized by what he describes as an interest in communicating “energy and beauty through sharp angles and soft spiritual colors.” 

Ahmed holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art: Drawing and Design from California State University, Stanislaus, and a Master of Fine Arts in Corporate Visual Communication from the University of Oregon. His career has combined studio practice with visual communication, art direction, exhibition, and education, including many years directing and supervising art projects and cultural events.  

His work has been exhibited internationally and throughout the Washington, D.C., region, including exhibitions at American University and George Mason University, as well as projects and exhibitions in London, Johannesburg, and Saudi Arabia. His practice has encompassed cultural and historical subjects, sports and movement, and representations of Saudi heritage, faith, and contemporary life.  

As an instructor, Ahmed has taught children and adults through MPA, Fairfax County Park Authority, and Fairfax County Public Schools. His teaching encompasses introductory through advanced drawing, figure drawing, heads and hands, landscapes and cityscapes, color theory, conceptual design, and painting in a variety of media.