Painter
Hassan Soliman
Hassan Soliman was born in 1928 and graduated from Cairo’s School of Fine Arts in 1951. Before his graduation, Soliman’s talent as a draughtsman had already caught the attention of art critics and dealers. One dealer even offered him generous patronage in exchange for exclusive rights to his work.
During the late 1940s and 50s in Cairo’s art circles, there were rumors about Soliman’s patron dealing in fakes and asking Soliman to imitate the works of minor French impressionists. When asked about this, Soliman admitted to producing only one fake Pissarro. He also mentioned receiving patronage from a rich Jewish businessman in Cairo when he was just 20 years old.
Soliman credited the foreign communities in Cairo, especially the Jews, for guiding him toward success. He believed that without their patronage, he would not have become a recognized painter at such a young age.
Despite this early period, Soliman’s career spanned nearly 60 years. Besides painting, he also wrote extensively on art and literature, founded avant-garde publications, taught at various institutions, and contributed to Egypt’s cultural life through his writings on the role of art and the artist in society.
After graduating from the School of Fine Arts, Soliman spent time in Luxor, where he worked as a painter in residence at the Luxor Atelier. This experience greatly influenced his work, despite rarely depicting specifically Egyptian scenes.
In the early 1960s, Soliman studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera in Milan, Italy, and toured Europe, visiting museums and galleries annually until his health prevented further travel.
During his first visit to Europe, Soliman received an offer to stay in Paris, which he considered seriously before ultimately deciding against it. He was influenced by the existential loneliness of his friend, the Egyptian novelist Albert Cossery, who had settled in Paris.
From the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s, Soliman played a key role in introducing innovations to the visual arts in Egypt. He worked as a layout editor and art critic for the monthly cultural review al-Majalah and was a graphic designer for several avant-garde publications, including al-Katib and Gallery 68.
