Henein, Adam (1929--)

Born in Cairo, Egypt, Adam Henein is one of the leading contemporary sculptors of the Arab World. Throughout his career, he produced large- and small-scale pieces incorporating granite, bronze, plaster, limestone and terracotta. His work is inspired by the graceful solidity of ancient Egyptian statuary and expresses a sense of simplicity in the treatment of mass and volumes. Henein is also a talented painter who worked to revive ancient techniques, such as working with natural pigments on papyrus sheets. Graduating from the School of Fine Arts in Cairo in 1953, he received a scholarship in 1957 to pursue his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. In 1971, he moved to Paris, where he stayed for twenty-five years. By the time he returned to Egypt in 1996, he enjoyed international recognition. He was appointed by the Ministry of Culture to participate in the restoration of the Sphinx in Giza from 1989 to 1998. In 1996, he founded the Aswan International Sculpture Symposium.