Ibrahim Shahda
Encyclopedia
Ibrahim Shahda was a figurative
French painter born in Egypt.
Fine Arts Academy in 1947. He worked there under French painter Pierre Beppi-Martin. In 1955, three years after ending his studies, he won a Prize and organized his first exhibition. At the end of the same year, he decided to leave for Paris.
He applied as free student to the École des Beaux-Arts
. He quickly moved to the south of France, in Carpentras
. A first exhibition took place in 1958 at the Arlette Chabaud Gallery in Avignon
. He won the Painting Prize from the Avignon Festival with "La femme en noir", today part of the Fondation Calvet
collection (Calvet Museum). He also won the Aix-en-Provence Painting Prize the same year.
In 1962, unhappy with his work, he chose to return to Paris. In 1963 he visited Italy, then Brittany
. In 1966, he returned to Provence
, but spent several summers in Brittany.
The following decade saw him visit Belgium, Netherlands, Spain and Italy, and show his work in Paris, at the Egypt Cultural Center, in Avignon, at the Ducastel Gallery, in the Carpentras Town-Hall and in Marseilles.
In 1975, Shahda became seriously ill. He kept on painting, but felt threatened : "One must snatch work from passing time.". During a long remission, he worked on portraits and self-portraits, oil or pastel drawing. He organized two exhibitions in Carpentras in 1981 and 1984.
His health deteriorated again in 1985, but he kept on working harder than ever: still lifes, self-portraits and despite illness and exhaustion landscapes. He died from cancer during summer 1991.
, Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Goya, Velázquez
, Titian
and Tintoretto
, or van Gogh, Cézanne, Modigliani
and Soutine), as well as two of his contemporaries, Zoran Mušič
and Francis Bacon
, by the strength of his portraits and the refusal of abstract art.
in Avignon owns two paintings by Shahda, "La Femme en noir" from 1958 and a self-portrait from the late 70s.
Figurative art
Figurative art, sometimes written as figurativism, describes artwork—particularly paintings and sculptures—which are clearly derived from real object sources, and are therefore by definition representational.-Definition:...
French painter born in Egypt.
Biography
Shahda, aged 16, joined the CairoCairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
Fine Arts Academy in 1947. He worked there under French painter Pierre Beppi-Martin. In 1955, three years after ending his studies, he won a Prize and organized his first exhibition. At the end of the same year, he decided to leave for Paris.
He applied as free student to the École des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The most famous is the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, now located on the left bank in Paris, across the Seine from the Louvre, in the 6th arrondissement. The school has a history spanning more than 350 years,...
. He quickly moved to the south of France, in Carpentras
Carpentras
Carpentras is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It stands on the banks of the Auzon...
. A first exhibition took place in 1958 at the Arlette Chabaud Gallery in Avignon
Avignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
. He won the Painting Prize from the Avignon Festival with "La femme en noir", today part of the Fondation Calvet
Fondation Calvet
La Fondation Calvet is an art foundation in Avignon, France, named for Esprit Calvet, who left his collections and library to it in 1810. The foundation maintains a museum and a library, with state support...
collection (Calvet Museum). He also won the Aix-en-Provence Painting Prize the same year.
In 1962, unhappy with his work, he chose to return to Paris. In 1963 he visited Italy, then Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
. In 1966, he returned to Provence
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
, but spent several summers in Brittany.
The following decade saw him visit Belgium, Netherlands, Spain and Italy, and show his work in Paris, at the Egypt Cultural Center, in Avignon, at the Ducastel Gallery, in the Carpentras Town-Hall and in Marseilles.
In 1975, Shahda became seriously ill. He kept on painting, but felt threatened : "One must snatch work from passing time.". During a long remission, he worked on portraits and self-portraits, oil or pastel drawing. He organized two exhibitions in Carpentras in 1981 and 1984.
His health deteriorated again in 1985, but he kept on working harder than ever: still lifes, self-portraits and despite illness and exhaustion landscapes. He died from cancer during summer 1991.
Style
His style is highly personal, but has a clear link with some great painters of the past (Frans HalsFrans Hals
Frans Hals was a Dutch Golden Age painter. He is notable for his loose painterly brushwork, and helped introduce this lively style of painting into Dutch art. Hals was also instrumental in the evolution of 17th century group portraiture.-Biography:Hals was born in 1580 or 1581, in Antwerp...
, Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Goya, Velázquez
Diego Velázquez
Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez was a Spanish painter who was the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV. He was an individualistic artist of the contemporary Baroque period, important as a portrait artist...
, Titian
Titian
Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio (c. 1488/1490 – 27 August 1576 better known as Titian was an Italian painter, the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, near...
and Tintoretto
Tintoretto
Tintoretto , real name Jacopo Comin, was a Venetian painter and a notable exponent of the Renaissance school. For his phenomenal energy in painting he was termed Il Furioso...
, or van Gogh, Cézanne, Modigliani
Amedeo Modigliani
Amedeo Clemente Modigliani was an Italian painter and sculptor who worked mainly in France. Primarily a figurative artist, he became known for paintings and sculptures in a modern style characterized by mask-like faces and elongation of form...
and Soutine), as well as two of his contemporaries, Zoran Mušič
Zoran Mušic
Zoran Mušič was a Slovenian painter. He spent half of his life living and working in Italy.-Life:Zoran Mušič was born in a Slovene-speaking family in Bukovica, a village in the Vipava Valley near Gorizia, in what was then the Austrian County of Gorizia and Gradisca...
and Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Albans, KC was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, lawyer, jurist, author and pioneer of the scientific method. He served both as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England...
, by the strength of his portraits and the refusal of abstract art.
Work
The Fondation CalvetFondation Calvet
La Fondation Calvet is an art foundation in Avignon, France, named for Esprit Calvet, who left his collections and library to it in 1810. The foundation maintains a museum and a library, with state support...
in Avignon owns two paintings by Shahda, "La Femme en noir" from 1958 and a self-portrait from the late 70s.
Exhibitions
- 1958 : Galerie Arlette Chabaud, Avignon
- 1960 : Carpentras (exhibition with Paul Surtel)
- 1964 : Musée Lapidaire, Carpentras
- 1969 : Centre Culturel d'Egypte, Paris
- 1969 : Galerie Ducastel, Avignon
- 1971 : Galerie Ducastel, Avignon
- 1972 : Hôtel de Ville, Carpentras
- 1974 : Galerie Ducastel, Avignon
- 1974 : National Fair Club, Marseille
- 1975 : Galerie Ducastel, Avignon
- 1981 : Musée Duplessis and Chapelle du Collège, Carpentras
- 1984 : La Charité, Carpentras
Posthumous exhibitions
- 1993 : Chapelle du Collège, CarpentrasCarpentrasCarpentras is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It stands on the banks of the Auzon...
- 1994 : Musée Municipal, AlèsAlèsAlès is a commune in the Gard department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France. It is one of the sub-prefectures of the department. It was formerly known as Alais.-Geography:...
- 1995 : Château de Malijay, JonquièresJonquières, VaucluseJonquières is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-References:*...
- 1998 : Galerie Doudou Bayol, Saint-Rémy-de-ProvenceSaint-Rémy-de-ProvenceSaint-Rémy-de-Provence is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France.-Geography:...
- 1998 : Ferme des Arts, Vaison-la-RomaineVaison-la-RomaineVaison-la-Romaine is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France....
- 1998 : Centre Culturel d'Egypte, ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
- 1999 : Espace Saint-Louis, AvignonAvignonAvignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
- 2000 : Chapelle du Grozeau, MalaucèneMalaucèneMalaucène is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-Geography:Malaucène is a typical provençal village located in Provence at the foot of Mont Ventoux.-Sights:...
- 2006 : Chapelle du Collège, CarpentrasCarpentrasCarpentras is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It stands on the banks of the Auzon...
- 2009 : Galerie Polad-Hardouin, ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
- 2011 : Galerie Anna-Tschopp, MarseilleMarseilleMarseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
Publications
- 1984 : Magazine Rencontres, #124
- 2005 : Magazine Azart, #17
- 2009 : Exhibition catalog at Polad-Hardouin Gallery
- 2009 : Magazine Vernissages, #5