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Let’s go back to talking about art with another incredible artist capable of uniting Africa and the Arab world. Tahia Halim was without a doubt one of the best ever to represent Nubia, a region that more than any other sees the union between black and Arab Africa.
The beginnings
Tahia Halim was born on 9 September 1919 in Dongola, a city that was then part of Egypt, currently in Sudan. Thanks to his father’s proximity to King Fuad I, he managed to access the Royal Place in Cairo and, subsequently, the Academy of Fine Arts. Here she will be educated by artists by some of the greatest artists of the time, discovering her dimension as a painter for the first time. In 1943 he began to work in the studio of Hamed Abdallah, with whom he married shortly after, but the real turning point would take place in 1945.
She moved to Paris with her husband to study at the legendary Académie Julian, a place that would change the two spouses forever. Once the French experience is over, they will return to their homeland, opening a studio that will revolutionize African and world art forever.
Nubian wonders
Soon the works of Tahia Halim will reach an unparalleled success in women’s history, both for clamor and for originality. In fact, the artist managed to establish himself on the international scene by telling a reality unknown to most people, namely the Nubian one. This region represents one of the most interesting realities in Africa, especially with regards to history and culture. The Nubians, in fact, after having long been part of Egyptian history, broke away from it during the Arab conquests. This detachment, mended only centuries later, allowed the country to develop its own culture, halfway between the last parts of Egypt and northern Sudan.
Tahia Halim drew from his legendary homeland throughout his career, showing the world unexpected wonders, wrapped in a patina between the memory and the present. This way of representing his own land, so far from the Cairir and Alexandrian realities, was immediately appreciated by critics who saw in his works the forgotten face of Egypt. The success was so great that she became the first woman in history to win the Guggenheim prize in 1958. Since then, one triumph after another followed in his career, ending only with his death in May 2003.
Above all today, the legacy of Tahia Halim must be preserved and preserved. In addition to public recognition, its value has been to show the world the union that exists between these countries, sometimes considered distant even from the Egyptians themselves.
Tomorrow we continue the week dedicated to the woman with Fatma Aliye Topuz, considered by most to be the first Turkish and Islamic novelist. Follow us on our facebook, YouTube and Instagram page, every like, sharing or support is welcome and helps us to dedicate ourselves more and more to our passion: telling the Middle East.
