At Ofok art gallery in Mahmoud Khalil Art Museum at Giza, Former culture minister Farouk Hosni is to open his new art exhibition on Monday, after four years of absence from Egypt.

Since the outbreak of the 2011 revolution, Hosni, a well-known painter, has not held any exhibitions in Egypt, although he did hold three abroad - at the Artspace Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, at the Naila Art Gallery in Riyadh, and at a gallery in London.

The Cairo exhibition, which opens on Monday, displays a collection of 40 abstract paintings by Hosni which he has painted reecently using aquarelle, oil and acrylic.

Farouk Hosny

“I am very happy to be able to establish and open my exhibition in Egypt again after four years of absence,” Hosni told Ahram Online, adding that he felt a sense of love for his home country.

“My painting in this exhibition reflects a new style that I apply and I hope that my viewers and fans will like it,” he added.

Ihab El-Laban, director of Ofok and the organiser of the exhibition, says that Hosny’s exhibition is a new, important stage in his painting career, showing him using a different style of painting.

“The exhibition is a great challenge and a turning point in Hosni’s artistic path,” El-Laban said, adding that it would be “a surprise” to the public and to art critics.

Hosny's painting

Hosni served as Egypt's minister of culture for over twenty years under ousted president Hosni Mubarak, from 1987 until the revolution.

As an artist, Hosni is known for his unique abstract style and his works have been exhibited around the world at venues such as the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, the National Museum of Vienna, le Vittoriano Museum in Rome, Carrousel du Louvre in Paris and Tokyo Art Museum.

Last year, the 32nd annual Sharjah International Book Fair honoured Hosni for his contribution to Arab culture and for his efforts to enhance arts and creativity in different cultural forums.

Hosny's painting

Programme:
15 December - 4 January 2015
Ofok Gallery, Mahmoud Khalil museum, 1 Kafour St, Giza
Open daily from 9am to 9pm, except Fridays and Saturdays