The winners were announced during a celebratory event that took place on 31 March at Hanager Arts Centre, whose exhibition hall carries the name of the sculptor.

The event coincides with Henein’s birthday; he was born on 31 March 1929 and passed away on 22 May 2020.

The foundation awarded its first prize, EGP 50,000 (USD 1,600), to Eman Barakat, its second prize, EGP 30,000 (USD 1,000), to Souhaila Al-Nouishy and its third prize, EGP 20,000 (USD 650), to Moustafa Rawash. 

Following the announcement of the winners, the collective exhibition of the best works was inaugurated by the former Minister of Culture Farouk Hosny in the presence of artist and professor of art Ashraf Reda, the president of the Union of Visual Artists and former Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Helwan University, Safia Al-Qabbani and renowned sculptor Abdel-Aziz Saab. 

The exhibition continues until 5 April, presenting 40 sculptural works at the Adam Henein gallery. 

Through its annual competition, the Adam Henein Foundation aims to motivate and encourage artists under 40 from Egypt and the Arab world by offering them an opportunity to highlight their creations and win monetary prizes.

The first edition of the competition was launched on 15 September 2016 and prizes were awarded to the winners on 31 March 2017.

One of the leading Egyptian sculptors of his generation, Adam Henein rose to prominence in the 1950s, influencing numerous younger Egyptian artists and producing a prolific oeuvre that left an indelible mark on Egypt's cultural landscape.

He obtained a BA in sculpture from Cairo's School of Fine Arts and pursued training in Munich and Paris, where he lived until 1996.

"Residing in Paris for 25 years, Henein significantly grew as an artist. But brimming with nostalgia for his homeland and knowledge of his predecessors, his art was infused with fidelity to his Egyptian roots. Henein eventually founded the Aswan International Sculpture Symposium, which he headed for many years," writes Soha El-Sirgany in Henein's obituary.

Henein’s work was exhibited in Egypt, the Arab world, Europe and the US.

With his works displayed in the world's finest museums, including New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Louvre in Paris, his exhibitions catapulted him to international recognition and awards.

In the 1990s, Henein "led the restoration of the famed Sphinx of Giza, work that won him a national decoration," AP adds.

While dedicating his life to sculpture, Henein was also interested in painting. Henein’s paintings are abstract, featuring an earthy palette of reds, pinks, ochres and warm greys, placed to contrast the heavenly hues of chromes, greens, cobalts, azures and turquoises.

What they share with his sculptures is a secret, simple and poetic language.

In January 2014, the artist inaugurated the Adam Henein Museum in Cairo's Al-Harraniya district.

The museum is a priceless gift from the artist to the country.

In 2017, the Adam Henein Foundation established the Adam Henein Annual Sculpture Prize.