Raghib Ayyad

Place: Cairo

Born: 1892

Death: 1982

Biography:

Ragheb Ayad, also known as Raghib Ayyad, was an Egyptian artist born in Cairo in 1892 and died in 1982. He is widely regarded as a pioneering figure in the development of modern art in Egypt, with a deep commitment to cultivating a distinctly Egyptian artistic identity. Ayad was the first Egyptian artist to shed western influences in his art and to create an Egyptian art with its own social identity. He devoted his work to depicting the lives of the popular folk, whether in urban or rural settings. Ayad was a graduate of the School of Fine Arts in Cairo and later became a catalyst in the founding of the Egyptian Academy in Rome. He is recognized as the founding father of the Egyptian popular expressionist movement and was one of the most innovative painters of his generation. The Museum of Modern Egyptian Art in Cairo holds a significant collection of his works.