Biography
Born 1981, Alaa Awad is an Egyptian painter and muralist. He is currently working as a lecturer at Luxor University, Faculty of Fine Arts. He received PhD in Philosophy of Arts in 2019. His dissertation was entitled Artistic Vision Inspired by the Murals of War and Peace in Ancient Egyptian Art, an Empirical Study His university resume also includes a Master of Fine Arts from Helwan University and a BA degree. In Fine Art from SVU. Alaa Awad has also been a teaching assistant at SVU College of Fine Arts Luxor since 2006.
Alaa Awad has participated in exhibitions and createdpublic murals in many country countries including China, USA, France, Denmark and Germany.
The Son of Liberty’s Heritage
Alaa Awad is an artist who knows how to benefit from his own diverse cultural and artistic Egyptian heritage. By employing both culture and heritage, he is able communicate a depth of richness and uniqueness into his work, taking on most especially, the inspiration of ancient Egyptian heritage. Perhaps millions within Egypt and nations throughout the world know of his funerary mural painted in 2012 on Mohamed Mahmoud Street near Tahrir Square. Alaa Awad’s mural harnessed the soul of the Egyptian People giving an unmatched yet muted voice to the tumultuous emotions and events that took place during the Egyptian revolution.
These murals, unfortunately, have been removed by authorities, in general, have a negative view of public art and therefore, cannot appreciate the art of painting on public walls, often mislabeled as aimless „graffiti“. The context of much of the public art on Mohamed Mahmoud Street contained significant mention towards the ruling authorities through significate periods of Egyptian history.
In 2003 Alaa Awad won the prize of the Al Shomoa Foundation for Culture and Arts, along with his colleague and companion, artist Ramadan Abdul-Maqtam.
I am thrilled to see his return to Al Shomoa Gallery. I consider Alaa Awad as the son of liberty’s heritage, the son of free art. Without conditions or restrictions, he possessive vast knowledgeable of his cultural heritage and takes great pride in incorporating his Egyptian identity with his work.
In 2012, Alaa Awad’s completed his master’s thesis, entitled, “The Influence of Gustav Klimt on Modern Mural Paintings”. The appreciation Awad has towards Gustav Klimt’s style and work has indirectly inspired his own work.
Awad’s murals contain intricate groups within the scene, taking in both ancient Egyptian inspiration and modern Egyptian topics. In addition to blending the old with the new, his expertise in bold and rich colors convey a feeling of sacredness and fluidity, revealing an open and invisible connection that is only felt by those with high sense of appreciation to heritage and history.
by Dr. Lotus Abd El Karim
Daughters of the Nile 2019 – Street art – West Bank / Luxor.
by Roger Anis (www.rogeranis.photo)