Zeinab Abd El Hamid (Egyptian, 1919-2002)

A well-known and highly regarded artist, Zeinab Abd El Hamid manages to entrap her viewers with every composition she creates. A master of her craft, she portrays everyday city life by imposing a context filled with memories, divulging a world of full relationships between people who have come together by pure chance. Reminiscent of the first works that paved the way for Cubism, Abd El Hamid’s work has been described as a finely crafted Expressionism.

In this lot painted in 1956, entitled Quartier Populaire, she combines elements that are all inferior to the service of an architectural nature where the dividing line is what separates one shape from the other. Through her love of crowds and throngs, she has created a style for herself that characterizes most of her work. Using vibrant colours and bold brushstrokes, Abd El Hamid proves just how she can exploit her knowledge of perspective, by creating a plain of mindboggling aerial views. She chose this perspective to intensify the viewer’s experience. The piece is a kaleidoscope of discoveries. For as long as the viewer looks at it, they will find a new element every moment. The artist managed to capture the hustle of everyday city life in the streets of Cairo in one piece.