Omar Abdel Zaher
Omar Abd El-Zaher’s talent originated from his Aswan roots since he was a child. He was affected by shadow play art, as he combined both composition and storytelling. He graduated from the Graphics department, Faculty of Fine Arts in 1991. He was initially interested in Graphics art (engraving), as it is related to the different printing types. Alongside, he maintained his interest and kept up to date with all other modern art movements. His artistic phases throughout his entire career has connected his double life: The life of that artist and his experience on one hand, and social life on the other. That was where his career had took off and this is where it keeps going in such an amazing way.
Abd El-Zaher’s career largely consisted of an instinctive disclosure of Egyptian culture. His inspiration was a mixture of his surroundings with its millennial legacies as well as contemporary topics. Both factors (old and contemporary) helped shape his artistic talent which currently manifest Folk and Nubian culture in the most amazing way possible.
He could not have done it without being totally familiar with the history of former Egyptian artists who were aware of the peculiarities of life in rural Upper Egyptian life with all its uniqueness and apparent oddness to outsiders. Moreover, he combined the authenticity of his amazing innate talent with research, as he was concerned with the Impressionists in the West as well as Indian art in the East which articulated his unique style that currently has all these natural, cultural, and artistic inputs combined.
Abd El-Zaher’s paintings reveal themes that encompass both sentiments and emotions that originated from delving deeply into his roots, as well as the current intellectual and technical developments in Artistic and color compositions. All these elements are instantly obvious in his artworks, as he boldly and spontaneously manifests the vibrant upper everyday life, such as “Henna Night“, “The Wedding“, and “The day after the Wedding“. Throughout his artistic experiment, he used vibrant colors combined with folk poetry, but with his own unique style that is far removed from the stalemate stickler academic style.
Although some short-sighted critics may claim that the audience got used to such themes, Abd El-Zaher produced them in such a captivating unique style way that is poles apart from the sentimental reality, yet at the same time, parallel to it. In other words, his paintings were inspired by folk tales, such as Hassan & Naiema, Antar & Abla, and so many others; however, he did not simply reproduce those Pop Culture themes as previous generations of artists may have done, but he linked them to some Nubian faces which reflects his own ethnic heritage.
Furthermore, he has used animals a lot. Cats, birds, gooses, and fish are frequently used in his paintings as visual connotations of far deeper meanings than what would appear on the surface. In fact, the use of animals emphasizes and underlines his exceptional heritage. He also uses a juxtaposition of both exaggeration and simplicity through a certain creative vision that generates a complex code which the artist beautifully addresses via irregular conceptual solutions.
In his artworks, the Sun is used as a permanent source of light which signifies the intensity of shadows and conveys the brightness of colors. Yet, we can see black lines that frame and protect it from mingling with the rest of the components. He employs the eccentric yet unique Egyptian (Nubian) vibe color palette, such as the use of the doves’ white color in men’s clothes and the glowing bright colors in women’s clothes.
Any artist knows that it is hard to use oil paint on a square format, but Abd El-Zaher manages it as if he is a musician who is totally aware of the importance of musical pauses in a symphony. He aptly realizes the vital role of air and vacuum in managing the viewers’ eyes movement as it rolls through his beautiful characters and artistic components.
In addition, he is courageous and clever enough to properly employ color oppositions using ornamental motifs, and he occasionally portrays his characters as a part of that ornamental mood. He does not leave any dimension of an artwork’s three dimensions without coloring it in a complementary perspective. Some critics consider Abd Elzaher the true representative of reality with an exceptional ability of expression and performance.
He held many private galleries including one in Atelier Du Caire 1988, and several exhibitions in the Centre of Arts in Zamalek 2000, 2003, and 2004. He also took part in many group galleries, and his paintings are portrayed to the public in places, like the Museum of Modern Egyptian Art, as well as the Culture and Development Fund. His amazing artworks also form a formidable part of the collection of important art collectors both inside and outside Egypt.
No posts found!
@2025 Nebet Gallery. All rights reserved
Ahmed's sculptures depict human & animal figures in an expressionistic style, with exaggerated features and distorted proportions.
Ahmed is a talented painter who creates beautiful expressionistic mixed-media paintings on canvas.
Ahmed's paintings, whether in the field of drawing or painting have always carried an expressive charge.
Amira is a contemporary Egyptian artist specializing in portraiture and watercolor painting using an expressionist style.
Amira’s statement lies under the umbrella of the color-coded aesthetic celebrations of this world, and crosses the borders of the repetitive art of the closed ateliers..
Ali’s sculptures stand as an exceptional case among Iraqi artists.
Altaher Salah Aldin, animator and painter, manages to modernize traditional painting techniques with the language of animation. His rising career is witness to his great talent.
Badr is a talented painter who uses oil on canvas to create expressive expressionistic and colorful artworks.
Bakr’s sculpture operates in the realm of modern abstraction where rounded biomorphic forms capture the idea of life in metamorphosis.
It is clear that the fine-art photography produced by the artist “Bassam Alzoghby” does not belong to photography as a profession in the journalistic sense or otherwise...
Chadi is a contemporary Egyptian painter who uses stylized figures and a bold color pallet to express his ideas.
Dalia is a contemporary Egyptian painter who captures scenes and activities of traditional Egyptian life through a fusion of modern and folk arts.
Ehab is a contemporary Egyptian sculptor working in polyester and with an expressionistic flair to explore the geometric forms of the human figure.
Eslam is a contemporary Egyptian painter working with vibrant colour in an assertive, semi-abstract style.
Eslam is a contemporary Egyptian artist whose paintings present a contemporary realist twist on a traditional expressionist technique.
In Fadwa’s artworks, some circles are stripped out of their details connected to the rest of the components of the universe encircled by the shadows of value.
Fatimid architecture inspired Fares in his artworks starting from painting Cairo’s ancient scenes with its buildings, Mashrabiyas, the ancient giant gates, colorful glass windows, people, and vibes.
Fatma is an expressionist artist who uses mixed media to create stunning artworks on paper.
Gehan is a contemporary Egyptian painter working in bold acrylic to capture a modern expressionist view of Egyptian femininity.
Hala is a contemporary Egyptian artist whose mixed media images capture her passionate sense of Egyptian identity and spirit.
Hanafy's painting style was outstanding and reflected his vision of intellectual and existential issues.
Hany is a leading Egyptian sculptor whose work blends modern realism with principles of African and Ancient Egyptian art.
Hany is a contemporary Egyptian artist working in stone inspired the sculpture of ancient Egypt.
Running after infinite ideas till realizing that time passes as a shooting star has been the hardest challenge for the artist Hisham Abdullah Abd El-Mo’ty.
According to Abou El-Ela, bronze is a noble ore, as it is the result of sandy formations, stones, and volcanic meltdowns which matches the nature of his project’s people who come from under the ground.
Hossam has always been inspired with the idea that the heroes and heroines of his sculptures as well as their body language are firmly connected with the Land on which they stand.
Hossam’s artworks explore the routes of human communication by expressing through portrait art.
Hussein is one of Egypt’s most accomplished contemporary sculptors, working in a mix of abstraction and figuration that blends organic and mechanical forms.
It is evident in his work that Hussien Yassin is interested in “Man”, his facial expressions and body language in movement and posture.
Joseph has a calculated blend between geometric and organic...
Khalid is considered one of the most prominent knights of the contemporary Egyptian art movement, and in this regard, he has excelled in blending both impressionist realism and symbolism relying on impressionist touches which the eyes do not miss.
Mahomud is a young Egyptian artist painting in a realist style and focused on the representation of women in Egypt.
Mervat is a contemporary Egyptian painter notable for her expressionistic paintings of life and culture in Southern Egypt.
Mina is a contemporary artist working in printmaking and painting with a creative flair that marries modern Egyptian life, literature and architecture.
Miriam is a brilliant painter who uses expressionistic mixed media on canvas to create captivating scenes of color and emotion.
Moataz is a contemporary Egyptian artist working in acrylic on canvas with a modern expressionistic practice lead by his embrace of automatic techniques.
Mohamed’s artworks have been a mirror reflecting social contemporary ideological conditions.
Mohamed is one of Egypt’s most successful artists, exploring the materiality of paper in his paintings.
Mohamed's artworks have been characterized by spontaneity and authenticity.
Mohamed is an award-winning Egyptian artist producing bold contemporary abstract paintings where color and content are open to experimentation.
Mohamed is among Egypt’s leading artists whose expressionist-influenced acrylic paintings mark a masterful blend of contemporary Egyptian art and Modernist European art.
Mohamed is an artist who uses watercolor to create vivid portraits and scenes with an expressionist edge.
Mohamed's holdings are with individuals and at official institutions including the Museum of Modern Egyptian Art, Alexandria library, the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, and the National Bank of Kuwait.
Mohamed was born in El-Gamaliya on the 31st of October, 1946. Therefore, he was inspired by folklife in the different fields of art, such as painting, engraving, and ceramic.
Nadia Wahdan is a painter who celebrates life, beauty, and imagination with her acrylic masterpieces.
Noha is a contemporary Egyptian artist working in drawing, painting and sculpture to explore identity and lived experience.
Omar’s talent originated from his Aswan roots since he was a child. He was affected by shadow play art, as he combined both composition and storytelling.
Peter creates stunning abstract pieces that capture your attention and imagination.
Rania is a talented artist who uses vibrant colors, bold strokes, and dynamic shapes to create captivating scenes that evoke emotion and imagination.
Salah’s love for sculpting is a testament to his belief in art’s power to connect and communicate
In spite of the versatility of El-Zeiny’s themes, they are warm, in spite of their serenity, they are vibrant, and in spite of their sobriety, they are wildly bold.
Samar is an Egyptian sculptor who makes stunning abstract sculptures from various materials.
Shereen Elbarodi vibrant use of acrylics and oils on panel, embodies the essence of Expressionism and Abstract art.
Tamer is an Egyptian artist painter working in a contemporary expressionist style with a flair for marrying the abstract with bold figuration.
Toka is a contemporary Egyptian artist working in collage with a style that blends Western Pop Art with a distinct Egyptian character.
Wael Darweish, the artist who reflects his gaze on social inequalities in colorful and abstract works. Through paintings and sculptural pieces, the artist captures movement, freedom, energy, and the passage of time
Wael is a talented painter who creates stunning expressionistic acrylic paintings on canvas.
An artist who was born in Cairo but with an international intellect.
Zeinab is a contemporary Egyptian sculptor notable for her thematic work with feline subjects.