Highly praised Egyptian artist Chant Avedissian engages the viewer with a body of work that integrates images of iconic figures in Egyptian history, traditional Pharaonic iconography and art of the 1950s and 1960s. A Cairo-born artist with Armenian roots, Avedissian’s interests in folk art, sufi poetry, Zen principles and aestheticism are evident in his creations, which also strike a balance with Western work processes.

Avedissian, educated in Montreal and Paris, has a strong interest in traditional arts and local materials. He celebrates popular culture and politics in Egypt using images printed over stencilled backgrounds that are hand-painted and coloured using local pigments. His work features stars from the heyday of Egyptian music and cinema–notably Umm Kalthoum, Farid Al Atrash, Abdel Halim Hafez, Faten Hamama and Asmahan. As well, political figures from between the early days of King Farouk’s rule and President Gamal Abd El Nasser’s death are portrayed. The influence of these cultural and political icons still resonates in Egypt today. Avedissian also uses Islamic geometric patterns, Ottoman design, hieroglyphics from magazines, advertisements and stock photos to create his bold works of art. His pieces have been exhibited around the world.