Mahmoud Abdullah was born in 1938, Alexandria, Egypt and graduated from The College of Fine Arts in Alexandria in 1962. His practice spans painting & graphic art. Abdullah was an artist who was extremely inspired by the thoughts of freedom, tranquility, liberty & independence which were deeply reflected in his work. His art is more or less a confession of man’s conflict with nature. It’s the continuous struggle between solid & liquid. The solid to Abdullah are men who live on the shore creating culture and civilization while liquid to him is the moveable surface of the unknown world of water. His colors are warm but are all doomed with grey tones which represent an expectation of disaster or the tension that accompanies waiting for news. His art with its mystical atmosphere is a geometrical, poetic and lyrical form of abstraction. In 1958, he formed the “Abstractionists” group with fellow artists Said Al Adawi and Mostafa Abdel Moety. Abdullah worked as a lecturer in the “Graphics” Department in the College of Fine Arts from 1962 to 1970. He also lectured in the Applied Arts College from 1981 to 1984. He participated in many exhibitions locally & internationally. He also participated in Alexandria Art Biennale several times during his artistic career. His acquisitions include: Museum of Modern Art in Cairo, Mahmoud Said Museum of Modern Art in Alexandria, Hussein Sobhy Museum of Fine Arts in Alexandria, Culture Institute of Arts in Rome, The Egyptian Academy in Rome, The National Museum of Belgrade, Cairo Opera House, Museum of Graphic Art in Cairo as well as private collections in Egypt, The Gulf, Europe, United States, Japan & Australia.
