Fathi Hassan Biography

Fathi Hassan was born in Cairo to Nubian and Egyptian parents. His family were forced to leave their homeland of Nubia when the Aswan High Dam was built in 1952, flooding a vast area now under Lake Nasser. Whether in photographs, paintings, installations, drawings or, often, directly on walls, his texts are deliberately illegible intended to highlight the plight of lost languages and oral history as a result of colonial domination. In his early twenties he obtained a grant to study at Naples Art School and, after graduating in 1984, he continued to live for many years in Italy.

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Latterly working between Italy and Great Britain, he finally took up residence in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 2018. In his work Hassan experiments with the written and spoken word, exploring the theme of ancient languages erased by colonialism. With invented Kufic-inspired scripts, he plays with the symbols, textures and calligraphy of his Nubian heritage to explore the space between graphic symbolism and literal meaning in vibrant colours and collage. Forms are often given to these texts which can become as important as the text itself. These tend to be the organic forms of the natural world: the human face, leaves, plants, flowers, animals, the universe and its heavenly bodies. For many years Hassan also experimented with the vase form in his highly regarded series of Containers.

Notable solo exhibitions include; Whispers, Lawrie Shabibi Galery, Dubai (2019); Migration of Signs, Williams Museum, Massachusetts (2015); The Depth of Hope, V.C.U. Qatar, Doha (2014); Faces and Voices, John Rylands Library, Manchester UK (2012); Fathi Hassan: Transformation, Skoto Gallery, New York (2011); National Museum Villa Pisani, Stra, Venice (2008) and Containers of Memory, Annina Nosi Gallery, New York (1995).

Notable group shows include; Richard Saltoun Gallery, London, UK (2023); Brunei Gallery, SOAS, London, UK (2023); Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, Washington DC (2002), October Gallery, London (2006); Bluecoat Arts Centre, Liverpool and Beirut Exhibition Centre (2010), Rose Issa Projects at Abu Dhabi Art (2011) and the Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy, London (2012). His work was featured in the 15th Sharjah Biennale (2023).

His work is in the permanent collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum and the British Museum, London and the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, Washington DC and Farjam Collections among many others.

Text courtesy Richard Saltoun Gallery.

Fathi Hassan
featured artworks

Crocodile mosaic by Fathi Hassan contemporary artwork painting, works on paper, drawing, textile
Fathi Hassan Crocodile mosaic, 2024 Acrylic, pencil, collage and fabric on paper
195 x 145 cm
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The Saved Heart by Fathi Hassan contemporary artwork works on paper, mixed media
Fathi Hassan The Saved Heart, 2022 Mixed media on paper
98 x 86 cm
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Eternity Container by Fathi Hassan contemporary artwork mixed media
Fathi Hassan Eternity Container, 2023 Mixed media on paper
104 x 98 cm
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Richard Saltoun Gallery
Order of Things by Fathi Hassan contemporary artwork works on paper
Fathi Hassan Order of Things, 2023 Mixed media on paper
150 x 100 cm
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Richard Saltoun Gallery
Different horizons..one sky by Fathi Hassan contemporary artwork painting, works on paper
Fathi Hassan Different horizons..one sky, 2022 Mixed media on paper
150 x 100 cm
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Richard Saltoun Gallery
Santa Samara by Fathi Hassan contemporary artwork painting, works on paper
Fathi Hassan Santa Samara, 2021 Acrylic, pencil, crystal powder, and gauze on paper
35 x 35 cm
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Richard Saltoun Gallery
La Dimora (La Casa di Mansur) [Mansur's House] by Fathi Hassan contemporary artwork painting
Fathi Hassan La Dimora (La Casa di Mansur) [Mansur's House], 2002 Mixed media on canvas
120 x 100 cm
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Frankenstein, The Mountain Giant by Fathi Hassan contemporary artwork works on paper, mixed media
Fathi Hassan Frankenstein, The Mountain Giant, 2023 Mixed media on paper
150 x 100 cm
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Richard Saltoun Gallery

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Richard Saltoun Gallery contemporary art gallery in London, United Kingdom
Richard Saltoun Gallery London, New York, Rome
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