Chant Avedissian is an Egyptian-Armenian painter who fuses techniques and experiences he gathered in the West with his ethnic heritage. The results are breath-taking and striking paintings, that get to the heart of Egypt through gorgeous renderings of its cultural icons.
Avedissian's artwork is displayed in many museums, including the Smithsonian Institution, the British Museum, the Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam and the National Gallery of Jordan.
1. Umm Kulthum
If you're painting Egyptian Icons, you obviously start with the mother of them all, Umm Kulthoum.
2. Youssef Wahbi
Youssef Wahbi was an Egyptian stage and film actor and director, a leading star of the 1930s and 1940s and one of the most prominent Arab stage actors of any era.
3. Faten Hamama
4. Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser was the second President of Egypt, serving from 1956 until his death in 1970. Nasser also led the 1952 overthrow of the monarchy.
5. Hind Rostom
Hind Rostom was one of the great icons in the golden era of Egyptian cinema. Her physical appearance earned her the name "Marilyn Monroe of Arabia."
6. Princess Fawzia Fuad of Egypt
Fawzie Fuad was an Egyptian princess who became Queen of Iran as the first wife of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The marriage was significant because it united a Sunni royal, the Princess, and a Shia royal, the Crown Prince.
7. Lotfia El Nadi
Lotfia El Nadia was the first woman pilot in the world. She earned her license, without her father's consent, in 1933.
8. An Egyptian family playing Tawle (Backgammon)
Sometimes, Egyptian icons are those who represent basic family values and traditions.
9. Stars of the Nile
A compilation of some of the Egyptian icons Avedissian drew in his lifetime.