My career in sculpture began back in Egypt where I learned to carve reliefs in the native limestone. I studied for two years at the Institute of Monument Restoration, Qena, Egypt. I was trained by the master carver Abu Al Hageg from the age of 20. After this, I began carving statues on the round bases of ancien… Read More
My career in sculpture began back in Egypt where I learned to carve reliefs in the native limestone. I studied for two years at the Institute of Monument Restoration, Qena, Egypt. I was trained by the master carver Abu Al Hageg from the age of 20. After this, I began carving statues on the round bases of ancient Egyptian carvings. I moved to Cairo and established a studio there. My work was exhibited and sold through the Extra Gallery in Cairo. My exhibitions were featured in various newspapers and magazines as well as television stations in Egypt. In 1994 I moved to an artist commune next to the Red Sea. There I fell in love with carving harder stones like granite and basalt after meeting the famous Egyptian carver Abdel Badia Abdel Haigh. In 1997 I participated in a workshop for the Aswan International Symposium of Sculpture where I carved a life size black granite statue. The governor of the city of Aswan put this piece on permanent display in the city. In 1998 I received the prestigious Hassan Heshmat award from the Fine Art Society, Cairo. In this time, I was also commissioned to reproduce five ancient Egyptian reliefs for the El Gouna Museum in Hurghada, Egypt.
In 1999 I moved to the United States in hopes of launching my career as a sculptor. There, I studied art for a brief period at the Art Students League in New York with teachers such as Jonathan Shahn. I became involved with the National Sculpture Society in 2000 when I participated in their annual exhibition. Read Less
