Hussein Bikar
Encyclopedia
Hussein Amin Bikar is one of the most famous Egypt
ian portrait painters. His career, however, spanned a number of disciplines, notably caricature, teaching, journalism and art criticism.
He was of Turkish extraction and a member of the Bahá'í Faith
. In the 1980s, he was arrested by the state security investigation bureau in a clamp-down on Baha'is in Egypt.
Bikar graduated from the Fine Arts College in 1933, and subsequently from the Ahlia for Painting. He taught at, and eventually headed, the Painting Department of the Faculty of Arts at Qena
. He was a founder of the Helwan wax museum
.
He joined the newspaper Akhbar Al-Yom in 1945, doing drawings often accompanied by his own vernacular poems. He was the main cartoonist for the children’s magazine Al-Sinbad, which was first published in January 1952. His books include Suwar Natiqa (Speaking Pictures).
His painting The Eighth Wonder, depicting the transportation of the temple of Ramses II to Abu Simbel
is widely regarded as a classic of modern Egyptian painting. Selections from his work can be seen at the Egyptian Modern Art Museum in Gezira, Cairo and the local museum of El-Gouna
.
Bikar received the State Merit Award in 1978, the Merit Medal in 1980 and, in 2000, shortly before his death, the Mubarak Award. Despite his numerous contributions to Egyptian society, he died without having access to an Egyptian identity card because of his beliefs in the Bahá'í Faith
. The Universal House of Justice
, the highest governing body of the Bahá'í Faith, paid tribute to his contributions to Egyptian society in its letter commenting on 16 December 2006 decision of the Egyptian Supreme Court denying Baha'is access to identification cards.
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian portrait painters. His career, however, spanned a number of disciplines, notably caricature, teaching, journalism and art criticism.
He was of Turkish extraction and a member of the Bahá'í Faith
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
. In the 1980s, he was arrested by the state security investigation bureau in a clamp-down on Baha'is in Egypt.
Bikar graduated from the Fine Arts College in 1933, and subsequently from the Ahlia for Painting. He taught at, and eventually headed, the Painting Department of the Faculty of Arts at Qena
Qena
Qena is a city in Upper Egypt, and the capital of the Qena Governorate. Situated on the east bank of the Nile, it was known as Kaine during the Greco-Roman period and as Cainepolis in antiquity.- Overview :...
. He was a founder of the Helwan wax museum
Helwan wax museum
The Helwan Wax Museum is a small public museum located in the suburb of Helwan, in Cairo, Egypt , close to the Ain Helwan Metro station.It contains exhibits of wax sculptures demonstrating important figures from Egyptian history and idealized traditional Egyptian culture...
.
He joined the newspaper Akhbar Al-Yom in 1945, doing drawings often accompanied by his own vernacular poems. He was the main cartoonist for the children’s magazine Al-Sinbad, which was first published in January 1952. His books include Suwar Natiqa (Speaking Pictures).
His painting The Eighth Wonder, depicting the transportation of the temple of Ramses II to Abu Simbel
Abu Simbel
Abu Simbel temples refers to two massive rock temples in Abu Simbel in Nubia, southern Egypt on the western bank of Lake Nasser about 230 km southwest of Aswan...
is widely regarded as a classic of modern Egyptian painting. Selections from his work can be seen at the Egyptian Modern Art Museum in Gezira, Cairo and the local museum of El-Gouna
El-Gouna
El Gouna is a tourist resort, developed and owned by Orascom Hotels and Development , dating from about 1990...
.
Bikar received the State Merit Award in 1978, the Merit Medal in 1980 and, in 2000, shortly before his death, the Mubarak Award. Despite his numerous contributions to Egyptian society, he died without having access to an Egyptian identity card because of his beliefs in the Bahá'í Faith
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
. The Universal House of Justice
Universal House of Justice
The Universal House of Justice is the supreme governing institution of the Bahá'í Faith. It is a legislative institution with the authority to supplement and apply the laws of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, and exercises a judicial function as the highest appellate institution in the...
, the highest governing body of the Bahá'í Faith, paid tribute to his contributions to Egyptian society in its letter commenting on 16 December 2006 decision of the Egyptian Supreme Court denying Baha'is access to identification cards.