gazbia sirry
b. 1925, Cairo, Egypt.
Gazbia Sirry was part of a group of visionary female artists that prospered and persevered in the Egyptian art scene throughout the twentieth century. Her work was a response to the political, social and artistic climates in her home country. She is often described as a humanist painter, as she attempted to depict the human condition and denounce inequalities.
In 1950, Sirry graduated from the Higher Institute of Art Education for Women Teachers (currently known as: the Faculty of Art Education, Helwan University), after which government-funded scholarships allowed her to pursue her further studies with Marcel Gromaire in Paris and then at the Egyptian Academy in Rome and the Slade School in London.
Her dedication for the freedom of Arab women is unwavering and her passion, candidness and receptiveness to international influences made her a prominent contributor to the Contemporary Art Group of Cairo.
EXHIBITIONS
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
Modern Art Museum – Cairo, Egypt, 1952, 1953
Atelier Gallery – Cairo, Egypt, 1959.
Modern Art Museum – Alexandria, Egypt, 1965.
Vincent Price Enterprise Exhibition – USA, 1965.
Gallery One – Beirut, Lebanon, 1968.
Galerie La Palette Bleue – Paris, France, 1970.
Sultan Gallery – Kuwait, Kuwait, 1983.
‘Retrospective, (1951-1984)’, Akhenaton Gallery – Cairo, Egypt. 1985.
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
Modern Art Group – Cairo, Egypt; Alexandria, Egypt, 1952, 1953.
Venice Biennale – Venice, Italy, 1952, 1956, 1958, 1984.
Sao Paolo Biennale – Sao Paolo, Brazil, 1953, 1963.
Alexandria Biennale – Alexandria, Egypt, 1959, 1961, 1963.
London Group, New Burlington Galleries – London, United Kingdom, 1954.
African Arts Exhibition – Dakar, Senegal, 1966.
Fine Arts Exhibition, First African Cultural Festival – Algiers, Algeria, 1969.
‘Ten Egyptian Women Painters over Half a Century’, Gallery of the Arab Socialist Union’ – Cairo, Egypt, 1975.
African Exhibition of Art Lagos, Nigeria, 1977.
Baghdad International Festival for Fine Arts – Baghdad, Iraq, 1988.
‘Right to Hope’, Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of UN and UNESCO – Johannesburg, South Africa; Nairobi, Kenya; Cairo, Egypt; Amman, Jordan, 1995-1996.
Cairo 7th International Biennale, Guest of Honor – Cairo, Egypt, 1998.
‘The Short Century: Independence and Liberation Movements in Africa – 1945-1994’ – Munich, Germany; Berlin, Germany; New York, USA, 2001.
‘Sajjil: A Century of Modern Art’ – Doha, Qatar, 2010.
COLLECTIONS
Egypt Modern Art Museum – Cairo, Egypt.
Alexandria Modern Art Museum – Egypt.
Marine Museum – Alexandria, Egypt.
The Egyptian National Bank – Cairo, Egypt.
Al-Ahram newspaper – Cairo, Egypt.
The Egyptian Art Academy – Rome, Italy.
Arts and Sciences Museum – Evansville, Indiana, USA.
Vincent Price Art Collection – Los Angeles, California, USA.
Faculties of fine arts and art education – Cairo, Alexandria and Menia, Egypt.
Josef Museum of Unaligned Countries – Belgrade, Yugoslavia.
Living Art Museum – Tunis, Tunisia.
The Grand Conference Hall at Cairo Opera House – Cairo, Egypt.
The National Museum of Woman Arts – Washington, D.C., USA.
Arab World Institute – Paris, France.
Museum of Art and Sciences – Evansville, Indiana, USA.
Unaligned Countries Museum – Yugoslavia.
The American University in Cairo – Egypt.
Cairo Opera House – Egypt.
Great Cairo Library – Egypt.
Mubarak Public Library – Giza, Egypt.
The Supreme Council of Culture – Cairo, Egypt.
Press Syndicate – Cairo, Egypt.
Novotel Hotel, Cairo Airport – Egypt.
Sheraton Hotel – Giza, Egypt.
AWARDS AND HONORS
Prize of Rome (painting) – Italy, 1952.
Honorary Prize (oil painting, Egyptian) – Venezia Biennale, Venice, Italy, 1956.
Honorary Prize for Creative Painting – Cairo, Egypt, 1957.
Second Prize (lithography) – Alexandria Biennale, Alexandria, Egypt, 1959.
First Prize (painting) – Alexandria Biennale, Alexandria, 1963.
First Prize, Salon du Caire – Société des Amis des Arts, Egypt, 1960.
Fourth great Prize of International Contemporary Art – Monaco, 1968.
State Prize and Order of Sciences and Arts of First Degree – Egypt, 1970.
Prize of Cairo Opera for Quadruple Tapestry Design – Cairo, Egypt, 1990.
State Merit Prize – Egypt, 2000.