Farid Fadel Biography

Egyptian painter Farid Fadel—who is often referred to as a “Renaissance man,” is also a pianist, singer, and a practicing ophthalmologist in his country. He took an interest in drawing and painting at an early age, and exhibited his first works when he was 13. After winning the Pope’s medal and the Vatican’s award in an international contest, Fadel received a travel grant from the Egyptian government in 1975 to go to Italy and see Classical and Renaissance art–the standard of academic art. He has held over 34 solo and group exhibitions in Egypt and around the world, including three in the United States (in 1994, 1997, and 2000), in addition to performing in numerous music recitals and concerts. 

Best known for his colorful depictions of Egypt’s daily life, its locales, and people, Fadel’s oils and watercolors reflect his Naturalist approach— which he executes in a manner more academic than that of the Impressionists, with a refined attention to detail and a meticulous finish. Strongly influenced by Renaissance and Ancient Egyptian art, Fadel believes that, while the former glorified the human figure, the latter conveyed the immortal.