Egyptian visual artist Chant Avedissian dead at 67

Ahram Online , Wednesday 24 Oct 2018

The artist was known for his pop paintings of cultural icons, such as Um Kalthoum, Faten Hamama, as well as political figures

Chant Avedissian
A portrait of Chant Avedissian by himself. The renowned Egyptian artist of Armenian origins, has died on Wednesday 24 October 2018 at the age of 67.

Chant Avedissian, renowned Egyptian artist of Armenian origins, has died this Wednesday afternoon at the age of 67.

His death came after 3 years of struggle with Lung cancer and bone metastases, according to his sister Nairy Avedis Avedissian who shared the news on Facebook.

Acclaimed artist Avedissian was born in Cairo in 1951 to an Armenian family, and was educated in Montreal and Paris.

He was known for his images of iconic figures in Egyptian history, notably Umm Kalthoum, Farid Al Atrash, Abdel Halim Hafez, Faten Hamama and Asmahan. As well as political figures from between the 1940s and 1970s.

He worked through a wide range of media, including prints, painting, photography and textiles.

His work often integrated traditional Pharaonic iconography, Islamic geometric patterns, Ottoman design,
as well as pop art, folk art, sufi poetry and zen principles.

Avedissian worked for the Aga Khan Foundation with celebrated Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy (1900-1989), which inspired his strong interest in traditional art and local materials

Exhibited widely, Avedissian 25 solo exhibitions between 1969 and 2018. His artwork is held by the National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution; the British Museum, London; the Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam; the National Museums of Scotland, Edinburgh; and the National Gallery of Jordan.

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