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Omar Gabr

Omar Gabr: A Bold and Expressive Visionary Artist

Early Life and the Influence of Illness on Art

Omar Gabr (b. 1999 )is a self-taught Egyptian visual artist who was born in the Cairo suburb of Shoubra Al-Khaima.

Having had cancer as a child, he has spoken openly about the important part that art played in helping him through those difficult times.

A Self-Taught Path: Workshops, Mentors, and Experimentation

Gabr has also said that while his illness meant he was unable to study art academically, he believes the alternative route he took of workshops, groups and mentors ultimately benefited his practice, giving him freedom and opportunities to experiment.

Themes of Identity and Egyptian Heritage in Gabr’s Work

Gabr’s practice is rooted in his boyhood and the town he grew up in, while also encompassing broader issues and themes relating to Egyptian heritage and identity.

Artistic Style: From Figurative Portraits to Mixed Media

Omar Gabr’s compositions include snapshots of everyday life, often figurative and including expressive self-portraits. They are completed in varying palettes which range from vibrant colours to more subdued or monochrome selections, depending on the themes and topics.

Experimentation with Khayameya and Found Objects

In the last couple of years, Gabr has also started experimenting with different materials, including hand-stitched tapestries in the traditional Egyptian khayameya form, and adding toys to his works.

Satire and Absurdism in ‘Rembrandt’s Brit Milah’

Perhaps moving away from the difficult early years he experienced, Gabr has also begun adding elements of black comedy to his practice, in works that could be described as absurdist in style.

Satire was to the fore in a landmark solo show of Gabr’s work held in 2024 at the Ubuntu Gallery, Zamalek, titled ‘Rembrandt’s Brit Milah’. In the show, which was curated by Farida Youssef, Gabr seemingly poked fun at the fine arts through a series of works that reinterpreted classic pieces, while exploring how we view aesthetics and questioning conventional approaches towards ugliness.

Major Exhibitions and Global Recognition

An earlier solo show of Gabr’s work, titled ‘The Phase’, and held at Easel & Camera Contemporary Gallery in Giza 2018, consisted of small portrait works of pop artists.

Gabr has also taken part in a number of group shows over the past decade. These include several exhibitions held at the Ubuntu Gallery in Zamalek and also abroad with the gallery at the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair (2023, 2020). In 2016, he participated in the Youth Salon, having taken part in his first exhibition in the previous year at the Cairo Atelier. Gabr lives and works in Cairo.