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Egyptian artists

83 artists

Egypt has one of the longest art histories on earth, from the pharaohs' temples and statues to Coptic textiles and the mosques and manuscripts of Islamic Cairo. Modern Egyptian art began in 1908, when a free School of Fine Arts opened in Cairo. Among its first students was Mahmoud Mokhtar, whose granite Egypt's Awakening became a national symbol; with the painter Mahmoud Saïd he founded a modern art rooted in Egyptian life.

The next generations were just as varied: the surrealists of the Art and Freedom group, the militant painter Inji Aflatoun, the illustrator Hussein Bicar, Effat Nagy with her folk magic, the sculptor Adam Henein, and the abstract painter and longtime culture minister Farouk Hosny. Today Ghada Amer, Wael Shawky and Anna Boghiguian show worldwide. The list also includes a queen who painted, Farida of Egypt. These are Egypt's artists with Wikipedia articles, most looked-up first. See also Egyptian photographers and North Africa.

Profiles

Painter and minister

Farouk Hosny

Egypt · 1938–

Farouk Hosny, an abstract painter from Alexandria, was Egypt's Minister of Culture from 1987 to 2011 and narrowly lost the race to lead UNESCO in 2009.

Sculptor

Mahmoud Mokhtar

Egypt · 1891–1934

Mahmoud Mokhtar, a village boy from the Nile Delta, became the father of modern Egyptian sculpture; his Egypt's Awakening became a national monument in 1928.

Painter

Mahmoud Saïd

Egypt · 1897–1964

Mahmoud Saïd (1897–1964) left the law to paint Egypt's people and light. His Les Chadoufs set a record for an Arab artist at auction in 2010.

Sculptor and painter

Adam Henein

Egypt · 1929–2020

Adam Henein carved calm, timeless figures in granite and bronze, led the design team restoring the Great Sphinx and founded the Aswan sculpture symposium.

Painter and illustrator

Hussein Bicar

Egypt · 1913–2002

Hussein Bicar painted luminous portraits and scenes of Nubia and the Egyptian countryside, and drew for Akhbar el-Yom and the children's magazine Sindbad.

Painter and activist

Inji Aflatoun

Egypt · 1924–1989

Inji Aflatoun (Efflatoun), surrealist, communist and feminist, was jailed from 1959 to 1963 and painted the women imprisoned with her: her best-known works.

Artist

Ghada Amer

Egypt · 1963–

Ghada Amer, born in Cairo, stitches images of women and words into her paintings, turning a craft taught to women into a language of desire and freedom.

Artist

Anna Boghiguian

Egypt · 1946–

Anna Boghiguian, an Armenian-Egyptian artist born in Cairo in 1946, makes drawings, paintings and sprawling installations about cities, trade and history.

Artist and filmmaker

Wael Shawky

Egypt · 1971–

Wael Shawky retold the Crusades from an Arab viewpoint with marionettes in Cabaret Crusades and made Drama 1882 for Egypt at the 2024 Venice Biennale.

Painter

Effat Nagy

Egypt · 1905–1994

Effat Nagy, sister of the pioneer Mohamed Naghi, made paintings and assemblages from Egyptian folk magic, amulets and painted wood; a Cairo museum shows them.

Photographer and filmmaker

Youssef Nabil

Egypt · 1972–

Youssef Nabil hand-colours black-and-white photographs in the style of old Egyptian film posters and studio portraits, portraying stars, artists and himself.

More artists

Most looked-up first. Names link to our profile, or to Wikipedia where we do not have one yet. Short descriptions from Wikidata; portraits from Wikimedia Commons. Image credits

Better known for other work

Writers, presenters and public figures whom Wikidata also lists here; their profiles explain the connection.

Queen and painter

Farida of Egypt

Egypt · 1921–1988

Queen Farida, King Farouk's first wife, became a painter after her divorce, encouraged by her uncle Mahmoud Saïd. She exhibited widely; Mathaf holds her work.