Rare paintings by late artist Nour al-Youssef exhibts in Cairo

CAIRO - 15 January 2018: An exhibition featuring the work of late award winning Egyptian artist Nour al-Youssef opened on January 10 and will run until February 15 at the Arcade Gallery in Maadi. The rare collection was provided by Alexandrian art collector Fattouh el-Kabea, and is available for purchase at the gallery.

The exhibition, titled “Revival”, is expected to attract many artists and enthusiasts as well as public figures who will be attending the exhibition to see the al-Youssef’s rare and intriguing works.

Nour al-Youssef was born in Alexandria in 1927. He worked as a marine captain before studying art with his friend, the famous Egyptian modern artist Seif Wanly, under the tutelage of the Italian artist Otorino Becchi.

Al-Youssef’s experience as a marine captain exposed him to different artists around the world, including the Irish figurative artist Francis Bacon, whose style inspired al-Youssef’s dark approach and colors, as well as the French-American artist Marcel Duchamp and the Spanish artist Joan Miro.

Nour al-Youssef is known for his devotion to his work, having never married and living an isolated life with his art. Most of his art exhibitions took place abroad, with very few solo art exhibitions in Egypt. His work earned him a number of awards and international recognition.

Nour al-Youssef did not sell his work, and only gifted some paintings to a number of his foreign and Egyptian friends. His isolation and minimal exposure is the main reason for the rarity of this collection. The artist died in the year 2000 among his work, adding to the intrigue surrounding his artistic and physical isolation from the world and the conceptual meanings behind his paintings.