Fathi, who was always devoted to the newspaper, continued to work under the most difficult circumstances of illness and fatigue to his last breath. He was a highly cultured journalist, whose weapon was not the pen but rather a brush and colours, though he particularly loved the contrast between black and white. He was calm and wise in his responses, taking no strong positions, yet he cherished his signature style, which he developed with dignity and pride, earning the respect of his colleagues and fans alike.
Born on 11 April, 1961 in Tanta, Abul-Ezz grew up in a household known for knowledge and religion. He was the eldest son of Sheikh Abul-Ezz Al-Sayed, and he had five brothers and three sisters.
Since the death of his father in 1997, Fathi – as he signed his work – took responsibility for his siblings, and over time has become the true head of the household. He never married, finding fulfillment in his siblings and their families, to whom he was equally close, showering them all with love and support.
Since he was a child, he suffered from “rheumatic fever”, which had a permanent adverse effect on his heart; he had three open-heart surgeries throughout his life. Recently, cardiologists had recommended a fourth surgery, but lack of resources had prevented it from being carried out in a timely manner. Nevertheless, despair never found its way into his heart.
Even though his talent manifested early, and so did his interest in public affairs, Fathi chose an unlikely academic path. He graduated with distinction from the Faculty of Sharia and Law in 1986. Those who were close to him knew he did not study law as an escape from art, but rather to enhance his understanding of reality. He remained loyal to his brush, making caricature a subtle weapon of awareness, a tool for criticism, and a sincere but always subtle expression of the pulse of the people.
Talking to him was a real pleasure. I remember a personal conversation with him during the January Revolution, amid high emotions on the Egyptian street, Fathi calmly managed to explain the matter in all its aspects. Since his early childhood, he was known for his love of reading and his passion for books and newspapers.
He was a poet, an eloquent speaker, and a politically aware analyst. His love of calm and contemplation granted him a flow of creative energies that found their way to people through a sarcastic brush. The drawings he made specifically for Al-Ahram Weekly since he joined on 1 November, 1997, were totally unique.
He did not depict figures in their traditional form; he was one of those cartoonists who used modern lines. He differed from the conventional style known in caricature in Egypt at that time. Fathi went through many phases. About 15 years ago, he decided to use black and white, where he highlighted strong contrasts in his ideas through those two colours. Five years later, he made significant attempts to incorporate photography and Photoshop into his work.
Al-Ahram Weekly’s founding editor Hosni Guindy (1940-2003) was especially attuned to art, and appreciated it in ways others might not. He saw in Fathi the inimitable talent that he was, recognising that his lines, which lean towards minimalism, were different from the fellow artists working in the Weekly at that time, such as Ragaie Wanees, Gomaa, Bahgouri, Nagy, and Makram Henein, each of whom had their own distinctive style.
With his departure, Fathi’s tribe lost its chief, Egyptian journalism lost a sincere and creative brush, and those around him lost a wise mind and a compassionate heart. But he will live on in his loved ones, in his art, his impact on future generations, and the annals of the Egyptian press.
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