Abdelhadi El-Wechahi
(1936-2013)
Graduated with honors in 1963, Faculty of Fine Arts, Cairo, Egypt. Pursued his passion to arts by residing in Spain and Italy from 1967 to 1978, during which he has participated in European Art movement until earning his Professorship Degree from San Fernando Academy, University of Madrid, 1978.
Wechahi’s footprints in Europe included his participations in International Biennales from 1965 to 1978 in France, Spain and Italy. Receiving several distinguished awards, his artworks were acquired by Contemporary Fine Arts Museum, Ibiza, Spain; Spanish Olympic Committee, Madrid, Spain; Modern Art Museum, Pegani Foundation,Milano, Italy, in addition to private collectors.
However, the issues plaguing his home country persisted and remained a pressing matter for him to address. Eventually, he decided to return to Egypt in the early 1980s and take up the position of a professor of sculpture at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Cairo.
He has been reforming the Egyptian art movement with his unique style that tend to break norms. His artworks were acquired by national museums and institutes and were publicly displayed in several landmarks.
Ahmed Foad Selim an Egyptian art critic described him “The sculptor, who was an Expressionist artist, possessed a remarkable ability to create grand and dramatic works. His sculptures were an embodiment of the intense emotions and tension that influenced his artistic choices. They took on circular shapes, seemingly soaring through the air, or were placed delicately on the most fragile point of the statue, defying the conventional principles of balance in sculpture. These distinct characteristics gave his creations a unique identity within the realm of Modern Egyptian Art.”
Wechahi’s famous quote “I’m almost certain I speak the language of forms”
Art Work: A Women & sea 2 - Bronze – height 130 - 1992