Mohamed Abouelnaga

Mohamed Abouelnaga (b. 1960) is an award-winning Egyptian visual artist, professor and curator who was born in the city of Tanta. A multidisciplinary artist, his practice has evolved over several decades and today spans papermaking, printmaking, painting, sculpture, video-installation and digital media.

Abouelnaga studied at the University of Alexandria, where he gained Bachelor’s (Hons.) and Master’s degrees in fine arts from the Faculty of Arts in 1983 and 1992 respectively, before also obtaining a PhD in Philosophy of Art in 1997.

In what marked a pivotal point in his career, Abouelnaga received a grant in 1996 from the Japan Foundation to study the art of manual papermaking under the supervision of pioneering Japanese artist Kyoko Ibe. The experience of working with Washi paper inspired him to explore the idea of creating paper with localized materials back home. He soon began crafting paper with Egyptian papyrus and using it as a medium in his own practice. 

Abouelnaga’s paintings are known for their juxtaposition of figuration and abstraction in compositions that explore and comment on a range of social, political and socio-economic issues. Memory, displacement and shifts in identity are among the themes he has returned to over the years in his work, in compositions that also display a masterfully controlled palette of colours.

Commenting in 2024, the art curator Sahar Behairy said: “Abou El Naga’s ability to engage with sociopolitical issues is central to  his practice. His art is not merely an exploration of memory; it is a testament to social transformation. Throughout his career, he has remained committed to documenting the struggles and aspirations of marginalized communities, particularly during moments of profound political upheaval, such as the Egyptian revolution.”

Abouelnaga’s work is found in numerous high-profile public and private collections, including: the Museum of Modern Art, Cairo; the Opera House, Cairo; the National Museum of Jordan; the Paper Academy, Kyoto; the Arab Fund, Kuwait; and LACMA, Los Angeles.

Abouelnaga’s art has been widely exhibited over the decades in Egypt and internationally, in both solo and group exhibitions, and several art fairs. In 2024, Abouelnaga’s work was displayed in a wide-ranging solo show tracking his career, titled ‘Narratives’, curated by Sahar Behairy, which took place at Ofok Gallery, Cairo. Other recent solo exhibitions include: ‘Layers of Mohamed Abouelnaga and Sándor Bátai’ (joint exhibition), Magdolna Yard Art Gallery, Budapest (2024); ‘Sketches’, Ofok Gallery, Cairo (2023); ‘Bedayat’, Palace of the Arts, Cairo (2023); ‘Mohamed 80s-90s’, Access Gallery, Cairo (2022); ‘The Secret Keeper’, Demi Gallery, Cairo (2021); Katalin Verebics, Parisi Gallery, Budapest (2021); ‘Us and Circles’, Khan El Maghraby Gallery, Al Qahirah (2019); ‘The Hay Carrier’, Townhouse Gallery, Cairo (2018); ‘The Circles’, Dar al-Funoon, Kuwait (2017); Gallery Dai, Cairo (2017); ‘Breached Memory’ (with Senegalese artist Viye Diba Senegal), Mojo Gallery, Dubai (2015); ‘The Warrior’, Darat Al Funun, Amman (2015); ‘Faces’, Art Lounge, Cairo (2014); ‘Orientalism, Jacaranda Images, Amman (2014); ‘Cairo Streets’, Sana Gallery, Singapore (2014); ‘Woven Relations’, Katara Art Center, Doha (2014); ADC Contemporary Art Gallery, Los Angeles (2013); ‘Souad Hosni’, Duke Gallery, London (2013); ‘The Lion’, ADC Contemporary Art Gallery, Los Angeles (2011); Markheya Gallery, Doha (2011); Joint Exhibition with Japanese artist Ibe  Kyoke, Darb 17, Cairo (2011); and AB Gallery, Switzerland (2011).

Abouelnaga has worked in the field of education since the mid-1990s and is currently a professor at the Specific Educations Faculty, Cairo University, a position he has held since 2000. He is also a highly regarded curator and art advisor, working at Mojo Art Gallery, Dubai, Nabad Gallery, Amman and ADC Art Gallery, Los Angeles. Abouelnaga held the post of curator at the Visual Art Centre of the Qatari Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage between 2010 and 2016, and was the general commissioner for the 25th Alexandria Bienniale (2009) and the Sharjah International Biennial for Children’s Arts (2012), among others.

Abouelnaga is also known for the work he has undertaken in entrepreneurial and community art-related projects, alongside others in the field of social development. Initiatives he has set up include the El Nafeza Foundation for Contemporary Art & Development.