Fathi Afifi Egyptian

Fathi Afifi (b. 1950, Cairo, Egypt) Fathi Afifi is a Cairo based painter whose large scale works capture the complex rhythms of urban life in Egypt’s capital. Born and raised in the historic district of Sayeda Zeinab, Afifi’s practice draws deeply from his lived experience in Cairo’s densely populated working class neighborhoods. His paintings chronicle the daily grind of the city’s shaab its masses of people moving through train stations, factories, markets & alleys with an unflinching focus on realism over romanticism.
Afifi's approach is defined by rough, textured surfaces, bold brushwork, and a subdued palette that often leans into monochrome. His figures rendered with sketch like immediacy reflect the anonymity and repetition of life in a megacity. Faces are often blank or featureless, evoking the emotional distance and mechanical routine of urban survival. In addition to his portraits of Cairo’s street life, Afifi has explored themes of memory and nostalgia through series focused on children’s toys, musicians, and circuses objects and scenes that echo a lost sense of wonder amid adult realities. A graduate of the Faculty of Fine Arts 1974 Afifi began his career after working in military factories, an experience that further informed his sensitivity to labor and class. He is a member of several art institutions, including the Cairo Atelier, the Plastic Art Association, and the Ahlia Art Society. His work has been exhibited widely in Egypt and internationally, including in Austria, Germany, Cuba, and Mexico. Afifi was awarded the top prize at the Sixth International Cairo Biennale.