Khaled El Samahy, born in Cairo in 1971, is an Egyptian artist who developed a passion for drawing and sculpting from a young age. His uncle, a police officer with a hobby in art, introduced him to these artistic expressions. Encouraged by his father, who was a poet, Khaled delved into reading and practicing various forms of art.
During his school days, he was inspired by scientific research, the mysteries of the universe, and Arab literature, particularly the works of Tahar Hussein, Abbas Al-Akkad, and faculty of Fine Arts in Zamalek. Throughout his academic journey, Khaled was fascinated by portra Yusuf Al-Sibai.
In 1988, despite opposition from some family members, he enrolled in the Fiture and the artistic legacy of Ahmed Sabry. He specialized in portraiture and mural painting, and his graduation project focused on capturing the movement of train passengers on a station platform.
After graduation, he pursued art as a profession and held his first exhibition in 1995, showcasing his portrait work. Over the years, his subjects expanded to include landscapes, ballet, musicians, and historical themes inspired by ancient Egypt, among others.
Khaled worked as a museum curator and an art instructor. He also spent seven years as the head of the oil painting department at an art institute in Qatar. Eventually, he returned to Egypt and established his private studio, where he focused on teaching academic art and occasionally practiced portrait sculpture and modeling.
His works have been exhibited and collected in various countries, and he has received numerous awards, including the Cavalry Award from the Society of Fine Arts Lovers and the Kefafi Award from the Greek Ministry of Culture.
Khaled El Samahy's mission is to revive and promote academic and realistic art, believing that Egypt's artistic roots hold the true essence of creativity. He criticizes the detachment between Egyptian citizens and contemporary art galleries that lean towards Western abstract and conceptual art, which he finds unrelated to their cultural heritage and taste.
