George Bahgory is one of Egypt's most renowned contemporary artists. Widely referred to as 'the granddaddy of Egyptian caricature,' he is most famous for his political cartoons that have been featured in Arabic press for decades. Bahgory was born into a Coptic Christian family in Luxor in 1932. In 1955, he studied painting at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Zamalek, Cairo, under the guidance of the Egyptian artist Hussein Bikar. In 1970, he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Paris. His 30-year stay in Paris refined his talent in drawing, engraving, painting, sculpture, marionette art, novel writing, cinema and criticism. Upon a special invitation from the Society of Art Lovers in Paris, his works were selected to represent the Egyptian Pavilion at the Louvre Museum in 1999, where his painting ‘A Face from Egypt’ won the Silver Medal award. His wood and bronze engravings have been displayed in galleries in France and Canada. From 1953 to 1975, Bahgory was also a prominent cartoonist for the two weekly Egyptian magazines Sabah El Kheir and Rose El-Youssef. Works by Bahgory can be categorized as expressionist and cubist with bright colours appealing to folk art fans. He cites 20th century favourite Pablo Picasso, Egyptian modernist Abdel Hadi Al Gazzar, German expressionist Paul Klee, and Egyptian Fayoum portraits as among his influences. Bahgory paints in a manner that viewers can perceive as either dark or whimsical, a model combination for the rugged and creative spirit of both Egypt and the 20th century’s best-selling artist. He is a multifaceted and multidimensional artist with an impressive history, having written books, garnered numerous national and international honours and participated in over thirty exhibitions across Europe and the Middle East. Bahgory has mastered various fine art mediums, including drawing, painting and prints as well as photography and sculpture. Some of his works were acquired by the Museum of Modern Art in Amman and the Museum of Modern Art in Cairo.
