Mohamed Abla

MOHAMED ABLA

Egyptian artist Mohamed Abla creates imagery that spans from realistic depictions of people in the streets of Cairo to paintings that were inspired by 1950 photographs of his family photographs to cultural renditions of the hieroglyphs and other iconography of his native roots. He is like a guide who shows us an Egypt we wouldn’t see as a tourist.

His passion for his country is not only seen in his artwork but has spanned to socio-political realm where he has oftentimes risked his safety through an adamant promotion of culture and contemporary art. His convictions about exposing his people to the treasures of art and determination towards being able to teach its history and encourage its future are admirable.

Whether viewing his early watercolors, black and white paintings, Chaos paintings, Nostalgia paintings or depictions of life at the River Nile, we are given a rich and comprehensive glimpse into the roots of the artist, his people and the rich Egyptian heritage both past and present. There are only a handful of Egyptian artists who are recognized outside of Egypt but Abla is one of the few who is world renowned for his attempts at building cultural bridges through the medium of art.

Because of his long career, passion for the cultural climate of his country, and prolific output, he was chosen as one of the artists to participate in a major exhibition of Egyptian contemporary artists of the millennia, which traveled extensively to museums throughout Europe.

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AVAILABLE WORKS

We have a substantial number of works immediately available, however our inventory changes frequently, so here are some examples of noteworthy works. If you would like to know what we have in the gallery, please start the dialogue using the form below.

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All of Mohamed Abla’s works featured in our inventory are original, one-of-a-kind paintings and works on paper. Small works on paper range from $1,500 - 6,000, paintings range from $9,000 - 25,000.

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CATALOG

This catalog was a co-production between Galerie Hohmann and The Hart Gallery. 84 pages, featuring a text by Christian Hohmann (in English, German and Arabic.)

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Biography

Mohamed Abla was born in 1953 in Egypt.

Renowned Egyptian artist Mohammed Abla, winner of the 1998 Biennial, is a man of curious character and many faces. He has an intense desire for expressing feeling through his paintings. As a young artist he traveled the world, almost detached from his native ties, reluctant to settle in one place. Abla had to struggle his way through college by painting houses in order to make just enough money for his tuition and bare necessities. Graduating at the top of his class in 1977, he took part in Egypt’s “Young Artists Exhibition,” winning the grand prize. He traveled and painted through Spain and France experiencing first-hand the great museums of Europe. With an enhanced competence in his abilities, Abla moved onto Germany where he once more toured the extensive galleries. Finding one gallery owner, he showed his work and was transported to elation by the owner’s enthusiastic response. “He saw my sketches, loved them, bought them and asked if I would put on an exhibition.” Six more exhibitions followed in the next 2 years. Germany was definitely the turning point in his life and is fast becoming his second home. Abla says that he has an internal feeling that art is the key to bringing cultural and environmental awareness to people.

1953	Born in Mansoura, Egypt
1977	Graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts in Alexandria (Painting Section) Won the Grand Prize at the Alexandria Biennale Won First Prize in his first Solo Exhibition at the Spanish Cultural Center, Cairo.
1978-79	Took an Art and Study trip throughout Europe Solo Exhibition at the “Hohmann Gallery” in Walsrode, Germany
1980-82	Studied Graphics & Sculpture in Switzerland and Austria, and opened a studio in Zurich for painting therapy Held a series of exhibitions in Germany
1985-87	Had various exhibitions in Germany Won first prize in the competition entitled “Cairo from the Artist’s Perspective.” Awarded a scholarship to study in Basel, Switzerland.
1989	Exhibition at “Gallery Ewat,” Lewarden, The Netherlands
1991	Exhibition at Art Hall Orebro-Sweden, and at the Egyptian Academy, Rome. 1992- Exhibition for the Opening of Gallery Cairo-Berlin, Germay.
1993	Graphic Exhibition at A.U.C in Cairo/ “Grenchan Graphic Triennials” Switzerland/ Mashrabia Gallery, Cairo.
1994	Erection of Sisyphus statue, at Walsrode, Germany / received Heitland Scholarship, Lamspring, Germany / exhibitions in Switzerland
1995	Video Exhibition at El Hanager Cairo / Mashrabia Gallery Cair, o.
1996	Cairo Biennial – adjoined work First Prize Biennial-Kuwait Galerie Hohmann, Hamburg, Germany
1997	Grand Prize, Biennial of Alexandria.
1998	Exhibition “The Nile’’ at Goethe Institute, Cairo Exhibited at Hart Gallery, Carmel, California His 21st October “Musafirkhan” studio burned down and he lost most of his work
1999	Gallery Arabesque, Scenes from Vermont (scenes from a 1998 visit)
2002	Zamalek Art Gallery, “Conviviality--The Nile & the Trees” Cairo
2003	Havana Biennele, Cuba
2004	Zamalek Art Gallery, “Cairo…Portraits of a City”, Cairo
2005	Zamalek Art Gallery, “Nostalgia”, Cairo / Group Exhibition, The British Museum, London/ Int’l Art Exhibition in Muscat, Oman
2006	Professor at International Art Academy, Salzburg, Austria / Exhibition of “30 Years of his Art,” Gallery Hohman , Germany.
2007	Exhibition “Contemporary Egyptian Art” at the National Museum of Modern Art, Bonn, Germany / Exhibited in Occidentalism: The West as Seen by Egyptian Artists, Espace Karim Francis, Cairo
2008	Exhibited in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Marseilles, France / Zamalek Art Gallery, “Labyrinth,” Cairo, Egypt

	(biography will be updated soon.!)