Born in 1919, in Benisoueif, Hamed Owais, one of the leading pioneer Egyptian artists, obtained his Diploma from the Institute of Fine Arts in Cairo.

Owais contributed in setting up the “Group of Modern Art” in 1947, where he reaffirmed the stand of the Group, rejecting surrealism” because it was essentially rebellion, or an art which did not aim at the consciousness of the people at large.” He explains.

Owais, a strong believer that revolutionary ideology should be reflected in art, devoted himself to Cairo ambiance of 1946, as revolutionary ideas were being shaped. Eventually, his work became the expression of his own devotion to the Revolution.

Besides his inspiration and influence by Picasso, Matisse and the Fauves, Owais was also influenced by Alexandria with its abundance of color and sunshine, which has become eventually, a main characteristic of his work.

Owais , is the recipient of many prestigious awards; the Guggenheim international Prize(1956) , the Mediterranean Countries Alexandria Biennial (1957,1962,1997) ,”’ Pioneer in Arts Prize”, Plastic Arts Exhibition(1998), the State Appreciation Award in Fine Arts(2000), to name a few.

Owais represented Egyptian Modern Art in many exhibitions all over the world, as well as in international museums: Dresden, Berlin, Bosnan, Pushkine, and Moscow Museums of Modern Art etc…