Youssef Sida

"The Kunafeh Merchant" Oil Painting 27" x 31" inch (1960) by Youssef Sida

1960

Born in 1922 in Damietta, and in 1945 he got his degree from the Higher Institute of Educational Art. In 1947, he participated in establishing the influential Group of Modern Art. In 1949 he participated in the Egyptian exhibition in Paris. In 1950, he received the Full Bright award for studying art at Minnesota University. He then studied at Colombia University in NY and began exhibiting his work in NY and Minnesota from 1951-1952. He participated in 1953 in the Biennale of Sao Paulo in Brazil. Upon returning to Egypt in 1954, he became active in local and international exhibitions. In 1961, he was sent by the Egyptian government to receive his Ph.D. from Columbus University, Ohio. After, he started exhibiting his work in Columbus and Washington DC. Y.Sida’s work at the start was mainly dealing with popular Egyptian themes. We can distinguish Sida’s work through his power of using primary colors in its purest form directly in the tubes without being mixed with other colors. Also, we can notice in his work a tendency towards the qualities and techniques of children’s art. In his later years, Sida began experimenting with Arabic Calligraphy by concentrating on the forms and shapes that are dominant in the popular Egyptian motives and décor. We can witness the dynamism in his Arabic calligraphy work. Sida is also known for his huge murals depicting the political life in the early period of the revolution.