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.
Egyptian painters
55 artists
Egyptian painting entered the modern age with a generation born around 1890: Mohamed Naghi, Ragheb Ayad, Youssef Kamel and, above all, the Alexandrian judge-turned-painter Mahmoud Saïd, who gave Egyptian people and landscapes a monumental, sensual form. In 1939 the surrealists of the Art and Freedom group, among them Ramses Younan and Kamel El-Telmissany, rebelled against academic painting and nationalism alike.
After them came painters who looked at Egyptian society and its myths: Inji Aflatoun, who painted her fellow prisoners; Abdel Hadi Al Gazzar, with his visionary scenes of popular Cairo; Gazbia Sirry; the brothers Seif and Adham Wanly of Alexandria; Effat Nagy, with her folk amulets; and Hussein Bicar, painter of Nubia and illustrator of millions of pages. Later painters include the abstract artist Farouk Hosny and, today, artists such as Anna Boghiguian. The list also includes Farida of Egypt. These are Egypt's painters, most looked-up first. See also Egyptian artists.
Profiles
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.
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
- Georges Hanna Sabbagh · 1886–1951
Egyptian and French painter
- Abdel Hadi Al Gazzar · 1925–1966
- Gazbia Sirry · 1925–2021
Egyptian painter
- Kamel El-Telmissany · 1915–1972
Egyptian artist and filmmaker
Fathi Hassan · 1957–Egyptian artist
- Mohammed Nagi · 1888–1956
Egyptian artist
- Izak Fanus · 1919–2007
Egyptian artist and scholar
George Bahgoury · 1932–Egyptian French painter
- Ramses Younan · 1913–1966
Egyptian painter
- Nadia Sirry · 1958–
Egyptian artist
Aya Tarek · 1990–Egyptian street artist
- Seif Wanly · 1906–1979
Egyptian painter
Ganzeer · 1982–Egyptian multidisciplinary artist
Adham Wanly · 1908–1959Egyptian painter
Gamal El-Sagini · 1917–1977Egyptian sculptor,painter & artist
Mostafa Al Wadrny · 1935–2014- Tahia Halim · 1919–2003
Egyptian painter
- Ibram Lassaw · 1913–2003
American artist
Heba Amin · 1980–Egyptian painter,mixed media artist and lecturer
- Amy Nimr · 1898–1974
Egyptian-born artist, writer and patron of the arts
- Ashot Zorian · 1905–1970
Egyptian Armenian painter
Ahmed Morsi · 1930–Egyptian artist
- Dina Danish · 1981–
French-Born Egyptian Artist
- Salah Taher · 1911–2007
Egyptian painter
- Clea Badaro · 1913–1968
Egyptian artist
- Kamal Amin · 1923–1979
Egyptian artist
- Nikos Nicolaides · 1884–1956
Cypriot Greek writer and painter
- Zeinab Abdel Hamid · 1919–2002
Egyptian artist
- Moataz Nasr · 1961–
painter and sculptor
- Adel Nassief · 1962–2021
Egyptian artist
Arto Tchakmaktchian · 1933–2019Canadian artist
- Evelyn Ashamallah · 1948–
Egyptian artist
Ali Muheeb · 1935–2010Egyptian painter and diver
- Hassan Mohamed Hassan · 1906–1990
- Huda Lutfi · 1948–
visual artist and cultural historian from Cairo, Egypt
- Margaret Nakhla · 1908–1977
Egyptian artist
- Chafik Charobim · 1894–1975
Egyptian artist
- Ilana Salama Ortar · 1949–
Menhat Helmy · 1925–2004Artist and pioneer in Egyptian etchings and printmaking
- Nazir Tanbouli · 1971–
Egyptian born artist
Hend Kheera · 1981–Egyptian Street Artist whose Work Features a Mix of Stencils and Slogans
- Sawsan Amer · 1937–
Egyptian artist
- Amira Hanafi · 1979–
American/Egyptian artist and poet, active in electronic literature
- Samir Elmesirri · 1941–
Egyptian artist
Yehia Dessouki · 1978–Egyptian artist
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.