Hussein Bicar

Hussein Amin Bicar (Egyptian Arabic: حسين أمين بيكار) (2 January 1913 in Alexandria – 16 November 2002) was one of Egypt's most prominent artists of the 20th century.

Being the first Egyptian artist to illustrate Arabic children's books, Bicar has played a major role in establishing and promoting this field.

In the words of late journalist Mustafa Amin:"he is not a single artist, he is a master of several arts…he is a painter, photographer, poet, musician and philosopher".

[1] Hussein Amin Ibrahim Bicar was born on 2 January 1913 near Anfoushi, to an Egyptian family of distant Cypriot descent, he was also a follower of the Baháʼí Faith in Egypt.

To express his confidence, Cluezel asked the young student to draw his portrait—one of the first of many that Bicar produced over the years.In 1928 the Higher School of Fine Arts was brought under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, and Egyptian artists who had studied in Europe began to be hired as assistants and later as teachers.

In his senior year, Bicar was able to study with the best portrait artist in Egypt at that time, Ahmed Sabri, who became his mentor and lifelong friend.

Graduating at the top of his class in 1933, the bright young Bicar had dreams of a brilliant future as a freelance artist, but the economic depression of the 1930s introduced a harsh reality.

In 1943, after his return to Egypt, he was appointed assistant to his former professor, Ahmed Sabri, Bicar spent the next 17 years there where he went on to become the chair of the painting department where he taught the majority of a generation of contemporary Egyptian artists.

His versatility appears again and again as he works in a variety of media including water color, tempera, and oils—but the result is a distinctive Bicar style.

The stylized figures in his paintings carry a poetic message representing the stability, nobility, and strength to be found in the character of Egypt's agrarian roots.

After more than half a century as an artist and critic, he continued to be eclectic in his tastes, receptive to change, and eager to understand all schools of art as they reflect world conditions.

Amongst the most magnificent works of Bicar is the set of paintings done for "The Eighth Wonder", a documentary narrating the tale of Ramses II Temple in Abu Simbel in southern Egypt.

While the construction of The Aswan Dam, begun in 1960, to stabilize the water supply of Egypt, the flooding which would result threatened the existence of irreplaceable ancient temples.

During the transfer of Abu Simbel, the idea developed of making a film to document the history of the temple from its construction to the present, the movie called “The Eighth Wonder” was a product of efforts of former Minister of Culture Dr.Sarwat Okasha.

The commentary of the film was in English and Arabic and was produced in cinema laboratories in Rome for showing in movie theaters in Egypt and in Egyptian cultural centers abroad.

[11] Visitors of Kafr El Gouna, near the red sea city town of Hurghada can now visit the Abu Simbel Museum by Bicar.

[12] On display are 54 of the paintings he created for the documentary, which showcase his consummate skill in historical illustrations and his passion for the Pharaonic civilization.

[10] Bicar was an avid music lover, he could play the lute at the age of eight and by nine was teaching it to young girls and woman society.

As a musician, poet, painter, teacher, illustrator, reporter and storywriter, Bicar has given and continues to give great pleasure to millions of people.

Elegantly simplistic, eclectic and receptive to change, Bicar explains that "to understand is to appreciate" the fine lines of his cartoons stirred countless imaginations while the vibrant colors of his magnificent paintings gave voice to a million unuttered words.