“Egypt’s visual arts landscape witnessed tangible changes that revived the movement while opening the door to diversity in artistic approaches, aesthetics, and techniques,” explains Ehab Ellaban, director of the Arts Complex in Zamalek, to Ahram Online.
“The opening of new galleries, both this year and in recent years, has created real opportunities for artists who were previously distant from the visual art scene,” says visual artist and cartoonist Samir Abdelghany.
Masters of the field
The year also witnessed several distinctive exhibitions that highlighted the generational depth of Egypt’s visual arts scene, honouring artists who play a pivotal role in shaping the country’s plastic arts and whose names often resonate across international venues.
Prominent Egyptian artist Mohamed Abla (born 1953) had multiple significant activities in 2025, including participation in the 4th–7th Generation exhibition at Al Masar Gallery in July, and a solo exhibition, In the Glow of the City, at Folk Art Space through November. He was also honoured with the CARAVAN Kahlil Gibran Award in October.
Abla also served as a judge for the Sawiris Foundation’s residency programme, through which artists under the age of 30 were selected and provided with materials, artistic support, and guidance from senior professors over a three-month period—continuing Abla’s engagement with urban life, social narratives, and cultural heritage.
Ahmed Shiha (born 1945), celebrated for his “mythological realism”, held a major solo exhibition titled Egyptian Spirit at Picasso East Gallery in New Cairo in November 2025. The exhibition featured nearly 50 artworks alongside a book launch, showcasing his distinctive style and its capture of Egypt’s soul and melancholy.
Renowned artist Salah Bisar (born 1952) presented his solo exhibition Glee at Ubuntu Art Gallery throughout December, showcasing vibrant, folk-inspired works populated by clowns, horses, and joyful village scenes that celebrate nature and humanity.
A unique exhibition of works by artist Esmat Dawestashy (1943–2025) was held earlier this year at Picasso East Art Gallery in the Fifth Settlement. The exhibition also showcased a significant collection of works by other artists whom Dawestashy personally admired. Sadly, this proved to be the last exhibition attended by Dawestashy, who passed away just months after its closing.
Continuing its focus on major figures, Safarkhan Gallery launched Between Sea and Sky in mid-December, an exhibition by Egyptian-French artist Katherine Bakhoum (born 1949). Known for her nostalgic, ethereal paintings that blend Coptic and Mediterranean aesthetics, Bakhoum remains a distinctive voice in Egypt’s modern art history. The exhibition runs until 7 January.
Safarkhan Gallery has long been known for spotlighting leading figures in the visual arts, frequently mounting retrospective exhibitions that revisit artists whose work continues to resonate with enduring relevance.
The gallery has also recently wrapped up its presentation of another notable figure, Salah Abdel Kerim (1925–1988). Titled Philosophy of Form, the exhibition presented a landmark retrospective of the philosopher-artist and modernist pioneer in November and December.
Meanwhile, Margo Veillon Gallery at AUC Tahrir commemorated Chafik Charobim (1894–1975) with Lightmarks on Vanishing Points in December. Marking the 50th anniversary of his passing, the retrospective featured 50 oil paintings and studio archives tracing his transition from mechanical sight to impressionistic expression.
Another important retrospective, titled Celebration of Legacy, focused on Inji Efflatoun (1924–1989) and was featured at Art Cairo 2025 in the halls of the Grand Egyptian Museum.
The year 2025 showed that independent galleries continue to honour the great names of Egypt’s visual arts history, reasserting the importance of older generations and keeping alive the legacy of artists who have passed.
However, as artist Bisar argues, such efforts remain largely absent from official cultural institutions.
“These figures must be continually reintroduced to younger generations,” he says, pointing to a wide range of notable names who have shaped, or continue to enrich, the history of Egypt’s visual arts scene.
“The recognition given to the greats should not be limited to independent spaces alone, but also embraced by venues operating under the Ministry of Culture,” he adds, citing figures such as Gazbia Sirry (1925–2021), whose centenary was marked by entities operating outside the Ministry.
Zamalek Art Gallery, for example, marked 100 years of Sirry’s creativity, showcasing works from her various artistic phases, including her famed portraits (1945–1964) and her later move towards abstraction.
Art Cairo 2025 also presented her work at the Grand Egyptian Museum during the fair in February.
Women artists and thematic focus
Several exhibitions in 2025 highlighted the growing presence of women artists.
Empower Her Art Forum, held at the Grand Egyptian Museum in May, was an international celebration featuring over 200 female artists from more than 35 countries, alongside exhibitions, live painting sessions, and workshops. The 2025 Guest of Honour was Marianne Pitzen, founder of the Bonn Women’s Museum.
The fifth edition of the She Arts Festival, held in October 2025, also integrated visual art into its primarily performing-arts-focused programming. Titled The Unwritten She, the exhibition was curated by Al Mashrabia Gallery and presented works by 15 women artists.
Art Cairo 2025 dedicated a special pillar to women artists, including a panel and curated focus titled Women in Arab Art: Breaking Boundaries, highlighting artists who challenge societal norms through their work.
Continuing its annual tradition, Mashrabia Gallery of Contemporary Art held the ninth edition of My Favorite Things (February–March), featuring works by 18 female artists—many exhibiting for the first time—including Sarah Zaki, Habiba El Gazzar, and Nouran Zayed.
A powerful group exhibition featuring five leading female voices—Huda Lutfi, Hana El-Sagini, Nada Elkalaawy, Yasmine El Meleegy, and Dimitra Charamandas—opened at Gypsum Gallery in Maadi in November and continues until February 2026.
Titled In Each and Every Turn of the Tide, the exhibition explores the “art of repair”, using sculpture, collage, and painting to examine how bodies, landscapes, and historical memories are mended.
Young women artists—including Mai Abdallah, Engy Mahmoud, Alaa Ayman, Aya Gamil, Mona Fahmy, Sara Ayman, Sara Zaki, and Marwa Talaat—continue to carve out their paths.
As Stefania Angarano, founder and manager of Mashrabia Gallery of Contemporary Art—one of Egypt’s oldest independent galleries—explains, this strong presence of women in the visual arts field marks a positive beginning for the future of art.
“Women are bolder in the themes they present, perhaps because art is their primary means of expressing emotions and opinions with courage,” she says.
Hope in a new generation
Within the creative dynamism of 2025, a new generation of artists has steadily found space to work, exhibit, and redefine its relationship with audiences.
Ellaban observes a rise in enrolment across art faculties, resulting in the graduation of a large cohort of practising artists.
Fnon 9, the Cairo University Student Art Exhibition (October–November), was a major student show featuring nearly 800 works by more than 200 students from various faculties, reflecting the creative energy of the next generation.
The student exhibition Heels Over Head (AUC Visual Arts Programme, Spring–Summer 2025) presented the final projects of senior students at the American University in Cairo, highlighting emerging artistic voices.
Young artists also presented their work in No One Sleeps in Alexandria (July 2025) at Art Corner Gallery in Downtown Cairo. Inspired by the novel of the same title by Egyptian writer Ibrahim Abdel Meguid, the exhibition featured works by students from the Faculty of Fine Arts at the Russian University and was held as part of the activities of the Visual Literacy Foundation, founded by poet Saadny El Salamony.
Young Alexandrian artist Mohamed Elbehairy presented his second solo exhibition, Moulid Ya Dunia, through ArtTalks in Cairo. The show, featuring surrealist works exploring Egyptian folk festivals, extends into early 2026.
Young creators are also becoming increasingly visible in galleries such as Ubuntu Gallery, Picasso Gallery, Art Corner Gallery, Samah Art Gallery, and Passion Art Gallery, among others, which regularly host group exhibitions for emerging artists.
This movement embracing young artists extends into 2026, with preparations underway for the return of the Alexandria Biennale for Mediterranean Countries in September, after a 12-year hiatus. Titled This Too Shall Pass, the biennale aims to offer a message of optimism and renewal, drawing on Sufi traditions and global philosophy.
A major pillar of the biennale’s plan is the inclusion of “capsule exhibitions” designed specifically for emerging Egyptian talent—smaller shows that will act as a bridge, allowing young artists to exhibit alongside established international names.
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