Landmark Exhibition of Egyptian Art to Open in Washington DC

One of the first US gallery exhibitions dedicated exclusively to modern and contemporary Egyptian art will open on September 18th at the Middle East Institute Art Gallery in Washington, DC.

Titled 'El Marsam: Modern and Contemporary Art from Egypt', the exhibition will feature around 45 artworks from some of Egypt's most important modern artists, including Inji Efflatoun, Abdel Hadi El-Gazzar, Gazbia Sirry, Mahmoud Said, Hassan Soliman and Seif Wanly, as well as prominent contemporary artists like Huda Lutfi, Samir Fouad, Lara Baladi and Youssef Nabil.

Curated by Cairo-born art scholar Heba El Kayal, the exhibition is drawn largely from the private collections of Egyptian collectors, art galleries and institutions like the American University in Cairo. Major support for the exhibition was provided by Naguib Sawiris.

The conveners of this exhibition, the Middle East Institute, are a Washington-based, non-partisan think tank dedicated to the study of the Middle East. Rather than an exhaustive survey, the goal of the exhibition is to provide a window into Egypt’s modern history, identity and cultural life through art, and ensure that Egyptian art takes its place in the broader story of modern art history.

A VIP opening on September 17th will bring together diplomats, government officials, and leaders from the art world for a curator's talk and guided tours. Running until December 11, 2026, the exhibition will remain free and open to the public and will be accompanied by a program of talks and panel discussions on art, heritage and geopolitics in Egypt.