Adel El Siwi
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Biography
Painter Adel El Siwi is known for his monumental figures and elongated faces, as well as his ongoing artistic exploration of the relationship between animals and human beings. Having trained in medicine it is evident that El Siwi has mastered the human anatomy, indeed the human figure is a central theme within his work, a subject he has explored inside and out negotiating both form and philosophy.
Adel El Siwi studied medicine at Cairo University between 1970 and 1976, however simultaneously indulged in independent study at the Faculty of Fine Arts between 1974-5. In 1980, he relocated to Milan, Italy, where he lived and worked for a decade before moving back to Cairo where he currently lives and works.
Siwi has participated in the Cairo Biennale (1996, 2008), the Sharjah Biennial (1997), and the Venice Biennale (2009). His work has been included in a number of group exhibitions, including: Rencontres Africaines, Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris (1994); Modernities and Memories, Venice Biennale, (1997); Transafrican Art, Orlando Museum, Miami, (2000); Word into Art: Artists of the Modern Middle East, (organized by the British Museum), Dubai (2008); Oum Kalsoum: La quatrième pyramide, IMA, Paris (2008); ItaliaArabia, Chelsea Art Museum, New York (2008). Siwi was invited by “Le Laboratoire: Sculpture Urbaine” to project his work onto historical buildings in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1996), Grenoble, France (2000), Alger, Algeria, (2003).
In addition to his career as a visual artist, Siwi has translated numerous art historical texts into Arabic by artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Paul Klee.SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2024, Yellow Tropics, Tabari Artspace, Dubai, UAE
2017, In the presence of the Animal, Mashrabia Gallery, Cairo, Egypt
The Face and beyond, Artspace Gallery, Dubai, UAE
2015, Listen to the Beat, Tabari Artspace Gallery, Dubai, UAE
2013, Mille et Une Égypte, Inception Gallery, Paris, France
2013, Egypt is a Part of Africa, Artspace Gallery, London, UK
2012, Adel El Siwi Solo, Artspace Gallery, Dubai, UAE
2010, The Fables, Horizon One Gallery, Cairo, Egypt
2009, Contemporary Icons, Tabari Artspace Gallery, Dubai ,UAE
2008, Au delà du visage, Le Violon Bleu, Tunisia
2007, Faces, Tabari Artspace, Dubai, UAE
2006, My stars, Mashrabia Gallery of Contemporary Art,
2006, Espace Karim Francis, Cairo, Egypt
2005, French Cultural Center, Alexandria, Egypt
2004, Illusion Art Gallery, Kuwait City, Kuwait
2004, Atassi Gallery, Damascus, Syria
2004, Agial Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon
2003, Ammar Farhat Gallery, Tunisia
2003, Al Riwaq Gallery, Manama, Bahrain
1999, Akhnaton Gallery, Center of Arts, Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt
1999, Vision Egyptienne d'Eternité, Ville d" Agde, France
1996, Egyptian Academy, Rome, Italy
1995, Mashrabia Gallery, Cairo, Egypt
1993, Mashrabia Gallery, Cairo, Egypt
1993, Epreuve d’Artiste, Beirut, Lebanon
1992, Mashrabia Gallery, Cairo, Egypt
1990, Papiry Gallery, Berlin, Germany
1990, Mashrabia Gallery, Cairo, Egypt
1989, Koreuber Gallery, Berlin, Germany
1988, Mashrabia Gallery, Cairo, Egypt
1987, Cairo Atelier, Cairo, Egypt
1985, Cairo Atelier, Cairo, Egypt
1980, Cairo Atelier, Cairo, Egypt
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2025, Hot Spots, Sotheby's Dubai, UAE
2025, The Bright Side, Picasso Art Gallery, Cairo, Egypt
2024, The Marsafy Collection, Ubuntu Art Gallery, Cairo, Egypt
2024, The Collector's Eye XI, Ubuntu Art Gallery, Cairo, Egypt
2023, Crossroads: A Collector's Tale, Picasso Art Gallery, Cairo, Egypt
2015, SYRA Arts, New York, USA
2014, Contemporary Egyptian Art, Egyptian Academy, Rome, Italy
2012, 25 years of contemporary Arab art, Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris
2011, Window on contemporary Egyptian art - London
2009, Helga Hoffman Gallery, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2009, Invisible presence: Looking at the Body in Contemporary Egyptian Art, (curated by Stefania Angarano), Samaakhana, Cairo, Egypt
2009, The Face, Horizon One Gallery, Cairo, Egypt
2008, Arabia Italia: Chelsea Art Museum, New York, USA
2008, Word into Art - Artists of the Middle East: travelling exhibition (curated
by Venetia Porter), The British Museum, Dubai, UAE
2008, Mediterranean Trilogy, Palais des Arts, Marseille, France
2008, Arab artists in between Italian and Mediterranean Traditions (curated by Martina Corgnati), Damascus/Beirut/Cairo
2007, Occidentalism (curated by Karim Francis), Swiss hotel, Cairo, Egypt
2005, Al Azhar Park meets Contemporary Art, Azhar Park, Cairo, Egypt
Mashrabia Gallery, Cairo, Egypt
Fonoon Gallery, Cairo, Egypt
Espace Karim Francis, Cairo, Egypt
2003, ARAB canvas (curated by Saleh Barakat), Dubai, UAE
Arab Paintings for Children (curated by Mohie Al Labbad)
Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris, France
Repliques, (curated by Philippe Mouillon), Algeria
2003, Human Face in Contemporary Egyptian Art, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt
2002, Contemporary Egyptian Art, Beijing, China
Ateliers Arabes, Unesco Hall, Beirut
18 International artists: Homage to King Henry IV (curated by Philippe Mouillon), Lyon, France
2001, Contemporary Art in Egypt, Mexico City, Mexico
2000, Italian – Egyptian Contemporary Art Confrontation, Gezira Art Center, Cairo; Trans African Art, Orlando Museum of Modern Art, Florida, USA
1999, A la nuit tombée (curated by Philippe Mouillon), Grenoble, France
12 Contemporary Egyptian Artists, Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris, France
1998, Bellektin - Moderling, Dolmabachi Cultural Center, Istanbul, Turkey
Days of Kom Ghorab, Hanager Art Center, Opera House, Cairo, Egypt
1997, Contemporary Egyptian Art, University of Lebanon, Beirut
Sans Frontières, Gallery Micheline Fallet, Geneva, Switzerland
1995, Lexus Hall, Jeddah, KSA
Modern Egyptian Art Exhibition, Marseille, France
International Institute for Commerce, Mexico City, Mexico
1994, Rencontres Africaines, Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris, France
National Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa; Cape Town, South Africa; Lisbon, Portugal
British Council, Cairo, Egypt
1993, Modern Art Museum, New Delhi, India
1989, Ghoury Palace, Cairo, Egypt
1986, Foreign Artists in Italy, Palazzo Innocenti, Florence, Italy
BIENNALES
2009, Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy
2008, The Other, Cairo Biennale, Cairo, Egypt
1997, Alexandria Biennale, Alexandria, Egypt
1997, Sharjah Biennale, Sharjah, UAE
1997, Modernities and Memories: Recent works from the Islamic world
1997, Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy
1996, Biennale of São Paolo, São Poalo, Brazil, parallel works in Rio de Janeiro
1996, Cairo Biennale, Cairo, Egypt
ACHIEVEMENTS
2006, Translation of Giuseppe Ungaretti’s Life of a Man
2001, Translation and preface of Paul Klee’s Bauhaus Lectures
1997, Member of the Supreme Council of Culture, Egypt
1997, Editor of the magazine of Visual Art Ain
1996, Creator of the Kom Ghorab Community Art project, Old Cairo
1995, Translation and presentation of Leonardo da Vinci’s A Treatise on Painting
1994, Art director of the film Ya Donia ya Gharami, directed by Magdi Ahmed Ali
COLLECTIONS
British Museum, London, UK
The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, UAE
Museum of Modern Egyptian Art, Cairo, Egypt
Institut du monde Arabe, Paris, France
Sharjah Art Foundation, UAE
Greater Cairo Library, Egypt
Cairo International Airport, Egypt
Kinda Foundation, Riyadh, KSA
Kamel Lazaar Foundation, Tunis
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WorksNo works available.
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Exhibitions
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Hot Spots, A Collaboration Between Tabari Artspace and The Third Line at Sotheby’s
Adel El Siwi, Almaha Jaralla, Aya Haidar, Béchir Boussandel, Hanna Noor Mahomed, Hashel Al Lamki, Margaux Derhy, Nasser Almulhim 9 January - 10 March 2025Hot Spots is the first collaborative exhibition between Tabari Artspace and The Third Line at Sotheby’s, Dubai. This exhibition is part of Sotheby’s ongoing collaboration with regional galleries and brings...Explore -
Yellow Tropics, a Solo Exhibition of Adel El Siwi
Tabari Artspace 15 November 2024 - 15 January 2025'Adel El Siwi, an Egyptian painter, is a chronicler and storyteller of his generation. Born in the 1950s, a period of both upheaval and change in postwar and post-revolutionary Egypt,...Explore -
The Royal Flowers
Adel El Siwi 8 - 11 November 2017For the 2017 edition of Abu Dhabi Art, Tabari Artspace Gallery presented leading Egyptian Artists Adel El Siwi and Khaled Zaki.Explore -
The Silk Road
Mohamad Abla 10 October - 24 November 2017Tabari Artspace Gallery presented the solo exhibition of one of Egypt’s most influential and established contemporary artists, Mohamed Abla. The Silk Road includes a selection of abstract artworks which synthesise calligraphy, collage and traditional Middle Eastern techniques which explore folktales from North Africa, the Levant, Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent.Explore -
The Face and Beyond
Adel El Siwi 13 March - 2 April 2017Tabari Artspace Gallery exhibited Egyptian artist Adel El Siwi in DubaiExplore -
Listen to the Beat
Adel El Siwi 9 November 2015 - 17 January 2016Tabari Artspace Gallery Dubai exhibited a collection of artworks by prominent Egyptian artist, Adel El Siwi.Explore -
Art Dubai
Nadine Hammam, George Bahgory, Zakaria Ramhani, Khaled Hafez, Mohammed Taman, Charbel Samuel Aoun, and Adel El Siwi. 14 - 19 March 2011Guests were invited to view works by Zakaria Ramhani , Khaled Hafez, Mohammed Taman, Charbel Samuel Aoun , and Adel El Siw i at Tabari Artspace Gallery in DIFC and...Explore -
Adel El Siwi Solo Exhibition
8 April - 1 May 2009Explore -
Faces
Adel El Siwi 13 February - 30 March 2007Tabari Artspace Gallery presented a rare collection of paintings by Adel El Siwi in an exhibition entitled Faces.Explore
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Press
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The Works of Renowned Egyptian Artist, Adel El Siwi
Investec Cape Town Art Fair -
Adel El Siwi's new work explores colour, identity and narrative in Yellow Tropics exhibition
Maan Jalal, The National, 25 December 2024 -
Sotheby's joins forces with UAE galleries to launch new exhibition series
ArtDaily, 14 November 2024 -
Sotheby’s to Host Rotating Exhibitions with Top UAE Galleries
Canvas, 12 November 2024 -
UAE art galleries to take over Sotheby's Dubai space to highlight regional talent
The National, 12 November 2024 -
On Resistance, Feminism And Preserving Culture Through Craft
Amia Hasheel, MOJEH, 11 November 2024 -
Artistic Unity: Art in the UAE. Tabari Artspace interview with Maliha Tabari
Selections, 30 January 2024 -
عادل السيوي.. مؤلِّف الوجوه
العربي الجديد (Al Araby Al Jadeed), 17 June 2014 -
دليلك لمعارض الفن في الإمارات
زهرة الخليج (Zahrat Al Khaleej), 29 May 2014 -
Adel El Siwi - artist feature
Meer, 16 October 2013 -
Three art exhibitions to see at DIFC
The National, 24 December 2012
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Videos
