Hisham El Zeiny

Egypt

email: h.el_zen@yahoo.de

Biography

I was born to a German mother and an Egyptian-Sudanese father, and therefore grew up in a multi-cultural and religiously very tolerant environment. I attended the German school in Cairo, which provided me with a solid formation in languages formation, which assisted me as I took many trips in various places around the world in my youth.

Initially, I found myself studying architecture at the Fine Arts faculty of Cairo. While this study didn't stand in way of my great passion in arts, it did in fact lead me to my career as an artist for over 25 years.

1956 Born in Cairo, Egypt.
1975 Obtains German nationality.
1979 BA Architecture, Faculty of Fine Arts, Cairo.
1982 Post graduate studies in Vernacular Architecture with Prof. Hassan Fathy at the Faculty of Fine Arts.
1991 Computer courses in Auto CAD applications for architects at the IHK Frankfurt, Germany.
Since 1975 friend and member of the working team of sculptor-painter Salah Abdel Krim.
Lived in Germany from 1987-1990, and from 1992 – 2000

Solo Exhibitions

2008 Mashrabia Gallery, Cairo
Capital Club, Dubai (artworks commissioned)
2007 Mashrabia Gallery, Cairo
2006 La Bodega Gallery, Cairo
2005 Mashrabia Gallery, Cairo
2004 La Bodega Gallery, Cairo
2002 Town House Gallery, Cairo
2001 Mashrabia Gallery , Cairo
2001 Flux, Cairo
2000 Xenios Gallery, Frankfurt
1997 Espace Gallery, Cairo
1995 Artforum, Karben, Germany
1990 La part du Sable Gallery, Cairo
1985 Goethe Institute, Cairo
1983 Goethe Institute, Cairo
1980 Goethe Institute, Cairo

Group Exhibitions

2007 "Occidentalism"contemporary artists from Egypt
2006 Summeracademy, Salzburg, Austria
2005 Mashrabia Gallery, Cairo
2003 " Hybridity" Cairo University
2002 La Bodega Gallery, Cairo
2002 Espace Gallery, Cairo
2001 Mashrabia Gallery, Cairo
2001 Festival Al Nitaq, Cairo
2001 Invers Travelling Exhibition, Germany
1999 Kunsttendenzen in Afrika, Hess. Landtag, Wiesbaden, Germany
1998 Goethe Institute, Alexandria
1997 Mashrabia Gallery, Cairo
1996 Mashrabia Gallery, Cairo
1986 Art Today, Intern. exhibit Budapest, Hungary
1975 Faculty of Fine Arts, Cairo
Born in Cairo to a German in1956 Hisham El Zeiny grew up in a bilingual household and was send through the German school system from kindergarten on.

Finishing school Hisham studied architecture at the fine arts in Cairo from 74-79 ending it with postgraduate studies with prof. Hassan Fathy the pioneer of vernacular architecture.

The urge of creativity and experiment expressed itself in a stronger focus on art production, consequently a series of solo exhibitions starting from 81 on, making his first steps as a free artist showing in the Goethe institute of Cairo, following it with 20 solo shows in Cairo's main galleries, also participating in 22 group shows, beginning in the 70ties.

The focus of the work changing from heavy materials assemblages in the 80ties to collages and paintings in mixed media, possibly described as" collages of thought" inhabited by socio-cultural codes with a strong fascination by the issue of "time".

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