6 - ⊕ ‡ ADEL EL SIWI (EGYPTIAN/ITALIAN B.1952)

⊕ ‡ ADEL EL SIWI (EGYPTIAN/ITALIAN B.1952) FACES (A PAIR) both signed and dated Siwi 07 lower left each mixed media on paper both 48 x 64cm (84 x 64cm framed) (2) Property from the Zulficar Family Collection, Alexandria Adel El Siwi is primarily recognised for his monumental figurative paintings, a style that bridges the clinical precision of his medical background with a deep fascination for historical Egyptian aesthetics. His work is characterised by a "hieratic" quality-a formal, stiff, and sacred stillness reminiscent of Pharaonic art and Coptic icons. He frequently focuses on the human face, rendering it on an oversized scale that strips away individual identity to explore more universal, psychological archetypes. While his medical training informs his understanding of human anatomy, his execution is rarely realistic. Instead, he treats his subjects with a sense of "Oriental Regality," often elongating features and placing them in a silent, static space. These works part of a limited series bringing together features of African masks and pharaonic faces. The face is presented as a powerful stream, it becomes the space rather than inhabiting the space. El Siwi started working on this theme in the 1990's all the way into the 2000's. It is an attempt at emancipating the shadow, the viewer oscillates between a mask, a head, a shadow. Technically, El Siwi’s style is defined by a sophisticated use of a limited, often earthy palette. He avoids excessive ornamentation, preferring to build depth through layers of paint that create a subtle interior radiance. The mood of his work is often described as somber or melancholic, lacking in celebration but rich in psychological weight. This approach allows him to navigate between the whimsical and the profound, using traditional mediums to maintain a dialogue with the past while addressing contemporary displacement and memory. Adel El Siwi (b. 1952, Behera) is a Cairo-based artist whose work is shaped by a background in medicine and a decade spent living in Europe. Although he trained as a doctor at Cairo University between 1970 and 1976, he simultaneously pursued independent studies at the Faculty of Fine Arts from 1974 to 1975. In 1980, he relocated to Milan, Italy, where he practiced for ten years before returning to Cairo to establish his permanent studio. El Siwi’s professional record includes numerous solo exhibitions across the Middle East and Europe, including shows in Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Tunisia, Italy, France, England, Bahrain, and Dubai. He has been a frequent participant in major international biennials, representing his work at the Cairo Biennale (1996, 2008), the Sharjah Biennale (1997) and the Biennale di Venezia (2009). His participation in group exhibitions includes notable surveys such as Rencontres Africaines (1994) and Oum Kalsoum: La Quatrième Pyramide (2008) at the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris; Modernities and Memories at the 1997 Biennale di Venezia and Word into Art in Dubai in 2008. Additionally, his work has been featured in urban projection projects organised by Le Laboratoire: Sculpture Urbaine, which displayed his imagery on historical buildings in Rio de Janeiro, Grenoble, and Algiers. Beyond his studio practice, El Siwi contributes to Arabic art scholarship through his work as a translator. He has translated several foundational art historical texts into Arabic, including writings by Leonardo da Vinci and Paul Klee.