Ragheb Ayad (Egyptian, 1892-1982)
Born in El-Faggala, Cairo, Egypt. Ayad is always remembered as the most independent Artist of the first generation of
the Art’s movement who started 1908 his path in Art when Prince Youssef Kamel Art School was established to give birth to Modern Egyptian Artists.
He spontaneously gave a very strong impression blending his Art with his passion to the Simple traditional and popular life in Egypt in all of it’s interesting forms, painting Egypt’s Fallaheens daily life such El-Zar, dancing horses, camels in migration and much more, in such a sincerity which turned on the light on many others who followed in the Art’s path.
After his graduation of the Arts school back in 1911, Ayad worked as a drawing and painting teacher at the Coptic
School, soon after in 1922 till 1929 studied and work as an artist in Rome where he had his first solo exhibition as the painter from Egypt while he kept weaving Egypt with his Art.
In 1963, Ayad got his Decoration by the Italian government for his role to establish strong bond between cultures by
launching the Idea of the Egyptian Art Academy in Rome in a call for a free expression for Art which later came to reality not just his dream, but Ayad remained always the Egyptian boy with his home land scripted in his heart, just like his fellows Mahmoud Mokhtar, Youssef Kamel and others.
He joined the staff of the Applied Art School from 1930 – 1942, then was nominated to Curate the Coptic Museum’s Art
Collection in Cairo, soon after he became the Director of that museum which sourced the Monasteries and monks on
his paintings at that time.
In his life, he managed to show the world his fine Paintings through 40 Exhibitions in Egypt and abroad, and he remained always the most dominant Artist with an influence on the Artists who followed the Path