In this bronze sculpture of a rooster, the artist recasts the figure into simple lines typical of his abstract shapes, leaving the most prominent features of the rooster, its tail and feathered head. This technique recalls similar sculptures of other modernists, including Picasso’s cubist sculptures. The mastery of balance retains the natural form and stance of the rooster. Renowned for large-scale sculptures in granite, and smaller scale works in bronze and terracotta, Henein’s works often draw upon ancient and modern Egyptian sculptural techniques and forms.

Born to a family of silversmiths, Henein graduated from the School of Fine Arts in Cairo in 1953, and travelled to Upper Egypt to work at the Luxor Atelier. The region’s deep history of ancient Egyptian sculpture and architecture influenced the artist’s attention to materials and form. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich and relocated to Paris in 1971 where he exhibited his artwork. In 1996, he returned to Egypt and founded the annual Aswan International Sculpture Symposium, an international workshop for sculptors. He established his home and studio at the village of Harraniya near Giza, known as a centre for traditional arts and architecture. Henein has received numerous awards for his work, which has been exhibited in Egypt, the Arab world, Europe, and New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.