Ahmed Nawar

أحمد نوّار

Ahmad Nawar

Born 3 June 1945, in el-Shin, Gharbia Province, Egypt.

Abstract

Born in 1945, in Egypt’s Gharbia Governorate, Ahmed Nawar graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts at Helwan University in 1967. In 1971, Nawar received a four-year scholarship to study at the San Fernando Academy in Madrid, Spain. Working as a painter, sculptor, and printmaker, Nawar’s artistic work focuses on creating abstract hybridisations that join linear and organic forms. In the 1980s, Nawar was also a key member of the Mihwar (Axis) Group alongside Abd al-Rahman al-Nashar, Farghali Abd al-Hafiz, and Moustafa al-Razzaz. In 1982, Nawar founded the Faculty of Fine Arts at Minia University. He served as the faculty’s dean and graphics department chair until he was appointed head of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture’s Sector of Fine Arts in 1988. In 1979, Nawar was awarded the Egyptian State Order of Arts and Science, First Class and the State Merit Prize in 2013.

tbc — Ahmed Nawar, *Egypt. The Nile. The Life*, 1992, acrylic and mixed media on canvas, 186.8 x 310.1 cm. Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha.

Biography

Ahmed Nawar attended the Faculty of Fine Arts at Helwan University in Cairo and graduated in 1967. Following his graduation from Helwan University, Nawar began his military conscription term. While serving in the Egyptian military, Nawar was deployed to the Suez border during the War of Attrition (1967–1970). This experience of war left a profound impression on the young artist and would find expression in his later artworks. In 1971, Nawar received a four-year scholarship to study in Spain. He graduated in 1974 with a degree in graphic arts from the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Madrid, followed by a degree in mural painting and a doctorate-equivalent degree in painting from the academy in 1975.

Nawar’s thorough academic training in Egypt and Spain provided him with a solid foundation for his work as a painter, sculptor, and graphic printmaker. Nawar’s early works were primarily abstract etchings and assemblages, exhibiting a strong classical bent, as evidenced by the panels of Judgment Day (1967). Nawar’s experience of war influenced these early works. His etchings from this post-war period often depicted abstracted bodies ravaged by violence. At the same time, his sculptures mimicked the machinery of war and integrated shrapnel and other fragments gathered from conflict zones in their construction. After his training in Spain, Nawar shifted to creating works focused on the joining of mathematical and organic forms. Set against linear planes, Nawar created abstract hybridisations that often suggest machinery, space satellites, plant material, and human or animal bodies. This exploration of contrasting forms has continued to characterise Nawar’s work in various iterations. In the 1980s, Nawar created a series of sculptures that blurred the distinction between natural earth formations and man-made constructions, resulting in forms evocative of ancient towns carved into the stone mountains of Upper Egypt. In 2000, Nawar presented a new series of paintings collectively entitled The Soul of Civilisation, which featured fragmented renderings of Fayum portraits from Egypt’s late antiquity, meshed with modern detritus, such as computer circuits and loose wiring.

Alongside his artmaking, Nawar was a key member of the Mihwar (Axis) Group, which included Abd al-Rahman al-Nashar, Farghali Abd al-Hafiz, and Moustafa al-Razzaz. Founded in 1981, the Mihwar group artists were primarily interested in conveying the idea of coexisting unity and individuality through art. The group drew inspiration from the interconnected organisation of ancient Egyptian art and architecture, hoping that this harmony of unity and individuality would again be reflected in Egypt’s wider social system. Nawar’s established interest in creating cohesive works from contrasting visual elements was well-suited to the group’s collaborative work. Their artistic charge was manifested in shared exhibitions in the 1980s, in which each artist’s style was presented within a unified conceptual framework that linked their works. On a theoretical level, these exhibitions were intended to convey larger ideals of Arab unity and solidarity.

In addition to his work as a visual artist, Ahmed Nawar has also held positions at key cultural institutions in Egypt. In 1982, Nawar founded the Faculty of Fine Arts at Minia University. Supporting the faculty in its early stages, he served as the faculty’s dean and head of the graphics department until 1988, when he was appointed head of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture’s Sector of Fine Arts. He was additionally appointed the head of the Museum Sector of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in 1994, a position he held until 1999.

Ahmed Nawar’s first solo exhibition was held at the Cairo Atelier in 1965. Following the success of his first individual exhibition, Nawar went on to show at galleries in Cairo, Alexandria, Baghdad, and throughout Europe, including Madrid, Stockholm, Rome, and Paris. Ahmed Nawar’s work has also been featured in several group exhibitions and biennials. Nawar notably participated in the Florence International Print Biennale in 1968, the Venice Biennale in 1984 and 2003, and the Havana International Biennale in 1989, where Nawar was the guest of honour. Nawar additionally served as a juror for several biennales, including the Norwegian Biennial for Graphics in 1984, the Ankara Biennial in Turkey in 1990, the first Sharjah Biennial in 1993, the Kuwait International Biennial in 1995, and the International Cairo Biennale in 1992 and 1998. Ahmed Nawar’s work is currently held in the collections of several international art museums, including the Museum of Modern Art in Cairo, the Contemporary Graphic Art Museum in Norway, the Asilah Museum in Morocco, the National Museum in Silesia, Poland, and the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris.

Selected Exhibitions

Solo Exhibitions

2023	Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt
2020	Between War and Mask, Cairo, Egypt
2016	The Holy Land, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
2015	Nawar’s Journey, Cairo, Egypt
2014	Ofouk One Gallery, Giza, Egypt
2010	Mathaf, Doha, Qatar
2009	Ofouk One Gallery, Giza, Egypt
2006	Alexandria Center for Creativity, Alexandria, Egypt Picasso Gallery, Cairo, Egypt
2005	Spirit of Civilisation, Art Gallery, Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt Fayum Portraits, Museum of Papyri, the National Library, Vienna, Austria Spirit of Civilisation, Jesus Cathedral, Moscow, Russia Spirit of Civilisation, Rowaa Gallery, Amman, Jordan Zamalek Art Gallery, Cairo, Egypt
2002	Grant Gallery, Cairo, Egypt Palestine: 54 Years of Occupation, Centre of Art, Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt Center of Art in Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt
2001	From Fayum Portraits to Jabal Abu-Ghonim: Egyptian Body & Arab Spirit, Alexandria Atelier, Alexandria, Egypt
2000	From Fayum Portraits to Jabal Abu-Ghonim: Egyptian Body & Arab Spirit, Centre of Art, Cairo, Egypt
1999	Jeddah Atelier for Fine Arts, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Museum of Modern Art, Vienna, Austria
1997	War & Peace exhibition, Centre of Arts, Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt Institut du monde arabe, Paris, France Doroub Gallery, Cairo, Egypt
1994	Exhibition under the auspices of Princess Wagdan, Amman, Jordan Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, Amman, Jordan The Cultural Council, Abu Dhabi, UAE Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage, Abu Dhabi, UAE
1993	Sheraton Hotel, Doha, Qatar The Centre of Art, Ismailia, Egypt National Council of Culture, Arts and Literature, Kuwait, Kuwait
1991	The Spanish Cultural Centre, Cairo, Egypt
1990	The French Cultural Centre, Cairo, Egypt Center of Arts, Cairo, Egypt
1989	Akhenatoun (4) Gallery, Cairo, Egypt Havana (Nawar was a guest of honour during the Havana International Biennale), Havana, Cuba Retrospective, Alexandria Atelier, Alexandria, Egypt
1988	Arabesque Gallery, Cairo, Egypt
1985	Egyptian Academy, Rome, Italy Akehantoun Gallery, Cairo, Egypt Exhibition, New Valley province, Egypt Exhibition in Norai Gallery (moved to Madrid in March 1986 at the Egyptian Institute for Islamic Studies), Majorca Islands, Spain
1984	Hall of the Faculty of Fine Arts in Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt Exhibition (drawing + etching + gouache), Assiut, Egypt Exhibition (drawing + etching), Aswan, Egypt
1983	Akhenatoun Gallery, Cairo, Egypt Faculty of Fine Arts, Cairo, Egypt
1982	Gamelin Gallery, Drammen, Norway Contemporary Art Gallery, Oslo, Norway
1981	Gamelin Gallery (of the International Print Biennale in Norway), Drammen Fredrikstad, Norway
1980	Exhibition in Ms. Anita’s residence, Cairo, Egypt Akhenatoun Gallery, Cairo, Egypt
1979	The Egyptian Institute for Islamic Studies, Madrid, Spain Faculty of Fine Arts, Cairo, Egypt Norai Hall, Majorca Island, Spain
1978	Exhibition at the house of Madame Aida Sadik, Cairo, Egypt Cairo Atelier, Cairo, Egypt Almoneda Hall, Majorca Island, Spain Latina Hall, Majorca Island, Spain Faouns Hall, Madrid, Spain
1977	Hall of the Fifteenth Century House, Segovia, Spain The German Cultural Centre, Cairo, Egypt
1976	Latinia Gallery, Stockholm, Sweden Estudio Gallery, Valladolid, Spain
1975	Saving Bank art gallery, Alicante, Spain Mr. Matthew Hall, La Coruania, Spain Latina Hall, Majorca, Spain Norai Hall, Pollenca, Spain Maiel Hall, Bourogos, Spain Libros Hall, Tharagota, Spain Dorier Hall, Madrid, Spain
1974	Libros Gallery, Zaragoza, Spain Mathio Gallery, La Korona, Spain Besabia Gallery, Santander, Spain La Rueda Gallery, Madrid, Spain Art Gallery, Bilbao, Spain
1973	Grace Gallery, Bilbao, Spain Second Circle Gallery, Madrid, Spain Latina Gallery, Majorca Island, Spain La Paubilla Gallery, Majorca Island, Spain
1972	Second Circle Gallery, Madrid, Spain Latina Hall, Majorca Island, Spain
1971	Akhenatoun Gallery, Cairo, Egypt
1969	Kolminkiyan gallery, Baghdad, Iraq Al-Showeikh Gallery, Kuwait, Kuwait Cairo Atelier, Cairo, Egypt
1966	Colmpiancan Hall, Baghdad, Iraq Senators Hall, Kuwait, Kuwait
1965	Cairo Atelier, Cairo, Egypt

Group Exhibitions

2023	Silk Road Artists' Rendezvous, Cairo Opera House, Cairo, Egypt
2019	À la plume, au pinceau, au crayon : dessins du monde arabe, Institut du monde arabe, Paris, France
2007	Paris International Graphics Biennale, Paris, France International Sculpture Symposium, Monterrey, Mexico
2003	The 50th Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy The Premiere of Beijing Art Biennale, Beijing, China International Sculpture Symposium, Chetumal, Mexico
2001	Me & You international exhibition, Muscat, Oman Contemporary Egyptian Art, Sharjah, UAE
2000	The 1st Sculpture Symposium, Mexico
1997	Contemporary Art Festival, Bologna, Italy (Exhibition of 15-Artist Group in Madrid), Bologna, Italy
1994	Sao Paolo Biennale (together with Axis Group), Sao Paolo, Brazil
1992	Norway Graphics Triennale, Fredrikstad, Norway
1989	Havana Biennale (guest of honour), Havana, Cuba Norway Graphics Triennale, Fredrikstad, Norway
1988	Baghdad International Art Festival, Baghdad, Iraq
1987	The 4th Pava Art Biennale, Varna, Bulgaria Generation of the Whole World (organised by UNESCO), Moscow, Russia
1986	International Exhibition of Graphic Miniatures, Depot Art Gallery, Toronto, Canada Auburn University Biennale, Alabama, US International Graphics Exhibition, Katowice, Poland Cairo International Biennale, Cairo, Egypt Generation of the Whole World (organised by UNESCO), Paris, France Krakow Graphics Biennale, Krakow, Poland Baghdad International Art Festival, Baghdad, Iraq
1985	Ljubljana Graphics Biennale, Ljubljana, Slovenia
1984	Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy
1982	Second exhibition (Axis Group), Manasterli Palace, Maniyal Rouda, Cairo, Egypt Exhibition by Art Students, Madrid, Spain 10 Arab Artists, Graffiti Gallery, London, UK Latina Palma Art Gallery, Majorca, Spain
1981	Exhibition of Art Collection of Paris, Nice Museum, Nice, France Exhibition of Art Collection of Paris, Lisbon, Portugal First exhibition (Axis Group), Al-Salam Gallery, Gezira, Cairo, Egypt Latina Palma Art Gallery, Majorca, Spain
1980	Paris International Biennale for Youths, Paris, France Norway Graphics Biennale, Fredrikstad, Norway Latina Palma Art Gallery, Majorca, Spain
1978	Alexandria Biennale, Alexandria, Egypt Arab Graphic Art Biennale, London, UK Latina Palma Art Gallery, Majorca, Spain
1976	Contemporary Art Exhibition, Paris, France
1975	The 1st Graphics Biennale, Segovia, Spain April Salon, Latina Art Gallery, Majorca, Spain Orotoni Art Gallery, Madrid, Spain
1974	Ibiza Graphics Biennale, Ibiza, Spain International Festival of Contemporary Art, Berlin, Germany Basil Festival of Art, Basel, Switzerland International Art Festival, Basil, Switzerland Bisabia Art Gallery, Santander, Spain Latina Group in el Ponto, Valencia, Spain Graphics Panorama, Madrid, Spain Augarde Art Gallery, Bilbao, Spain La Rueda Art Gallery, Madrid, Spain The 6th of October Exhibition in the Institute of Islamic Studies, Madrid, Spain Exhibition of Arab Group, Salamanca, Spain
1973	Ibiza Biennale, Ibiza, Spain Pauentza Biennale, Majorca, Spain Leon Biennale, Leon, Spain Zaragossa Biennale for Sculpture and Painting, Zaragoza, Spain Second Circle Gallery, Madrid, Spain
1972	Alexandria Biennale, Alexandria, Egypt Ibiza Biennale, Ibiza, Spain Zaragoza Biennale, Zaragoza, Spain Painting competition in Flynntix, Majorca, Spain Latina Gallery, Majorca, Spain Exhibition together with Latina Moro Art Group, Santander, Spain Contemporary Painting Exhibition in Juan Planis, Majorca, Spain
1970	Ibiza Biennale, Ibiza, Spain
1968	Alexandria Biennale, Alexandria, Egypt Florence Biennale for Graphics, Florence, Italy Ibiza Biennale, Ibiza, Spain

Keywords

Modern Egyptian art, Egyptian sculpture, Egyptian painting, War of Attrition, Fayum portraits, Mehwar Group, Mustafa al-Razzaz, Farghli Abdel Hafiz, Abdel Rahman al-Nashar

Bibliography

"Ahmed Nawar." FineArt.gov.eg, Supreme Council of Culture, www.fineart.gov.eg/eng/cv/cv.asp?IDS=580. Accessed 22 July 2025.

"Ahmed Nawar." Yassin Art Gallery, www.yassinartgallery.com/artist_details/1/1/22. Accessed 22 July 2025.

"Nawar, Ahmed (1945)." Routledge Encyclopedia of Modernism, Taylor & Francis, www.rem.routledge.com/articles/nawar-ahmed-1945. Accessed 22 July 2025.

Karnouk, Liliane. Modern Egyptian Art: 1910-2003. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2005. Print.

Nawar, Ahmed, Ahmed Fouad Selim, Helmy el Touni, Mostafa el Tazaz and Mohssen Saalan, Museum of Egyptian Modern Art. Cairo: Ministry of Culture, Sector of Fine Art, 2005.

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Ahmed Nawar

Abstract

Biography

Jabal Abu Ghneim

Graphic Design

Graphic Work 17

Tahadi 2

Graphic Design 9

Title Unknown

Selected Exhibitions

Keywords

Bibliography

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