Owais, Hamed (1919–2011)

Born in Beni Soueif, Egypt, Hamed Owais is one of the leading painters of Egyptian social realism. He was a partisan of the ideals of the Gamal Abdel Nasser era and was inspired by Mexican muralists, such as Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros. His work portrays the daily life of the Egyptian working class through a clear and direct style, reflecting the strength of his social convictions. Having graduated from the School of Fine Arts in Cairo in 1944, he pursued his studies at the Institute of Art Education in Cairo where he received his diploma in 1946. A year later, he founded, together with other artists of his generation, the Egyptian "Group of Modern Art". Following a teaching career at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Alexandria, he received a scholarship in 1967 to study at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in Madrid. On his return to Egypt, he served as the head of the Faculty of Fine Arts in Alexandria (1977–1979).

Nada, Hamid (1924–1990)

Born in the popular neighbourhood of Khalifa in Cairo, Egypt, Hamid Nada is one of the leading figures of Egyptian modern art. He was one of the first Egyptian painters to introduce symbolism in his work, which was characterized by the expression of human inner feelings, and inspired by popular traditions, in his work. He joined the Egyptian ‘Group of Contemporary Art’, founded in 1946 by the painter and pedagogue Hussein Youssef Amin (1904–1984), who rejected the traditional approaches to art education and promoted freedom of expression. In 1948, Nada pursued his studies at the School of Fine Arts in Cairo, where he graduated in 1951. He studied in Luxor in 1956, and the following year, he was appointed to the Faculty of Fine Arts in Alexandria. In 1961, he was named professor at the School of Fine Arts in Cairo and became the head of its Painting Department in 1977.

El-Sigini, Gamal (1917–1977)

Gamal el-Sigini is a prominent Egyptian artist, best known for his sculptures and metal work. He is renowned for representing powerful patriotic subjects by using bronze, stone, copper, wood and leather. He developed the technique of using hammered red copper for executing low-reliefs inspired by ancient Egyptian art. El-Sigini studied at the School of Fine Arts in Cairo under the sculptor Boris Frödman-Cluzel (1878–1959). After graduating in 1938, he founded a group called "The Voice of the Artist" (Sawt al-Fannān) to promote young Egyptian artists. He was a member of the Egyptian "Group of Modern Art" founded in 1947, and in 1951, he was appointed professor at the School of Fine Arts in Cairo. He became the head of the Sculpture Department of the Faculty of Fine Arts in Alexandria in 1958 until he was named director of the Sculpture Department at the School of Fine Arts in Cairo in 1964. During his career, he was commissioned to design several projects for public monuments in Egypt as well as medals for various official events.