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Lot Essay
Internationally acclaimed artist, Adam Henein is renowned for his sculptural works in bronze, wood, clay and granite. Deeply inspired by Egypt's rich heritage and pharaonic themes and illustrations, Henein is recognised for his unique artistic blend of ancient Egyptian themes and a Modernist style influenced by the works of Modernist sculptors Brancusi, Moore, Maillol, Marini and Martini.
Born in 1929 into a family of metalworkers, Henein began sculpting at a young age, modelling his initial clay figures after Egyptian Pharaohs from Antiquity. As a young adult, Henein went to study the arts at the School of Fine Arts in Cairo in 1953 after which he settled in Luxor. He remained in the Egyptian region of Nubia until 1965, from where he had close access to the remnants of the ancient Egyptian civilisation along the banks of the river Nile. In the late 1960s, however, artistic constrains linked to the unstable political situation in Egypt following the war in 1967 against Israel and the death of the progressive Egyptian President, Gamal Abdel Nasser, forced him to flee Egypt and seek asylum in Europe. While in Europe, Henein continued his training in Munich and Paris, where he lived for 25 years. During this time he travelled around the continent and became familiar with classical Greek and Roman sculpture while simultaneously broadening his signature style and experimenting with abstract painting on papyrus.
In 1996, Adam Henein returned to Egypt as an internationally renowned artist. Since returning to his homeland, the artist has contributed greatly to the country's cultural landscape. Soon after his return, he was appointed by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture to lead the restoration work for the Great Sphinx of Giza. He also founded the International Sculpture Symposium in Aswan that has since become a platform to give international sculptors access to the granite found in Egypt's ancient quarries.
The present sculpture follows the dominant style of the artist's oeuvre through its strong form and overall compactness and density while maintaining an air of elegance and simplicity. Through his use of bronze casting, the artist has given his sculpture a dense and robust form. Marie Nilus portrays a female figure epitomised by curved features around the middle section of the sculpture. Like many of Henein's sculptures, the present work offers minimalism of form and with abstracted features, the sculpture embodies the minimalist aesthetics and linearity the artist is known for. Yet, it is these subtle portrayals of facial features and a woman's body that bestow Henein's sculptural works with a sense of grace and sophistication. Despite the sculpture's embodiment of Modernist forms in its simplicity, style and elegance, Marie Nilus is reminiscent of Pharaonic art in its depiction of a long and tall body. Even the name, Marie Nilus or otherwise known as Mariam of the Nile, is related to Pharaonic and Christian mythology. Marie Nilus is unquestionably a testament of Adam Henein's exquisite body of work and artistic legacy.
Born in 1929 into a family of metalworkers, Henein began sculpting at a young age, modelling his initial clay figures after Egyptian Pharaohs from Antiquity. As a young adult, Henein went to study the arts at the School of Fine Arts in Cairo in 1953 after which he settled in Luxor. He remained in the Egyptian region of Nubia until 1965, from where he had close access to the remnants of the ancient Egyptian civilisation along the banks of the river Nile. In the late 1960s, however, artistic constrains linked to the unstable political situation in Egypt following the war in 1967 against Israel and the death of the progressive Egyptian President, Gamal Abdel Nasser, forced him to flee Egypt and seek asylum in Europe. While in Europe, Henein continued his training in Munich and Paris, where he lived for 25 years. During this time he travelled around the continent and became familiar with classical Greek and Roman sculpture while simultaneously broadening his signature style and experimenting with abstract painting on papyrus.
In 1996, Adam Henein returned to Egypt as an internationally renowned artist. Since returning to his homeland, the artist has contributed greatly to the country's cultural landscape. Soon after his return, he was appointed by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture to lead the restoration work for the Great Sphinx of Giza. He also founded the International Sculpture Symposium in Aswan that has since become a platform to give international sculptors access to the granite found in Egypt's ancient quarries.
The present sculpture follows the dominant style of the artist's oeuvre through its strong form and overall compactness and density while maintaining an air of elegance and simplicity. Through his use of bronze casting, the artist has given his sculpture a dense and robust form. Marie Nilus portrays a female figure epitomised by curved features around the middle section of the sculpture. Like many of Henein's sculptures, the present work offers minimalism of form and with abstracted features, the sculpture embodies the minimalist aesthetics and linearity the artist is known for. Yet, it is these subtle portrayals of facial features and a woman's body that bestow Henein's sculptural works with a sense of grace and sophistication. Despite the sculpture's embodiment of Modernist forms in its simplicity, style and elegance, Marie Nilus is reminiscent of Pharaonic art in its depiction of a long and tall body. Even the name, Marie Nilus or otherwise known as Mariam of the Nile, is related to Pharaonic and Christian mythology. Marie Nilus is unquestionably a testament of Adam Henein's exquisite body of work and artistic legacy.