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 “It feels great knowing that my art will be up there being recognized. It’s a really big thing for me.”

“George Meets Picasso,” Bilal Houseyni

West High School graduate Bilal Houseyni was declared winner of the 11th Congressional District Art Competition this year for his artwork, making it the second year in a row that West High has provided a winner.

His piece, “George Meets Picasso,” which took him four days to create, will hang for the next year in the Cannon Tunnel in the U.S. Capitol building. It is a walkway used daily by members of Congress, Capitol employees and others.

“It was a really big surprise for me, because out of about 400 people who entered, I had the honor of winning,” Houseyni said.

He started taking his art seriously in high school, when his teachers recognized his talent and helped him get into it more. From then on, he has looked at art as a possible future.

“It feels great knowing that my art will be up there being recognized,” Houseyni said. “It’s a really big thing for me.”

In addition to being flown out to Washington, D.C., last month to attend an awards ceremony with Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, he toured D.C. with his parents.

“The trip was really fun, and I’ve always wanted to go to D.C. and see the capital,” Houseyni said.

He attends San Joaquin Delta College for his general education requirements and plans to go to art school.