Mohamed and Kamel Ibrahim Exhibition
In honor of their achievements, the Library established a permanent exhibition for their art works and published a catalog of their magnificent drawings, which can be used as a guide book for the exhibition.
Artist Mohamed Ibrahim
He was born in Alexandria on 2 September 1909, where he died on 13 May 1970. He received his primary and secondary education in Alexandria. His great talent in Arabic calligraphy appeared since his childhood. He attracted the attention of his teachers by his superiority, his talent and his beautiful handwriting, so they praised and encouraged him.
He worked as director of a school for improving handwriting in Alexandria since he established it in 1936 till his death. He taught Arabic calligraphy and its history at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Alexandria University.
In addition, he was a member of the High Council for Fine Arts, Literature and Social Sciences. He became one of the pioneers of Arabic calligraphy in Egypt and the Arab World. He was honored by the late President Gamal Abdel Nasser; former Tunisian President Habib Bourguiba and the former Syrian President Shoukry El-Kawatli. They awarded him medals and Certificates of Appreciation.
During that time in Alexandria there were no references to consult except reading what had been written in newspapers and magazines and the headlines of books which had been written at that time by famous calligraphers such as Nagib Hawawini, Sayed Ibrahim and Mohamed Hosny. He used to go to the town library in Alexandria to read all that had been written about the art of Arabic calligraphy. In Cairo, he got in touch with some great professors who attracted his attention by their writings such as Al-Sheikh Mohamed Abdel-Aziz Al-Refaay and Sayed Ibrahim. He tended to accompany them in Cairo to satisfy his hobby and improve it to the highest degree. He received a Diploma of Calligraphy and he was the top calligrapher in Egypt in 1933.
Mohamed Ibrahim started thinking of preparing for a better future with immortal organized work that could be a national heritage for the lovers of this art of Arabic calligraphy. His clear instinct led him to the establishment of a school for improving Arabic calligraphy in Alexandria, similar to the one in Cairo which was established in 1923 according to orders issued by King Fouad and for which he asked El-Sheikh Mohamed Abdel-Aziz Al-Refaay to return from Turkey for this purpose. A school for improving Arabic calligraphy was established in Alexandria in November 1936 despite the difficulties and problems that Mohamed Ibrahim faced for achieving this dream. He could surpass all the obstacles and he was supported by the famous Arabic writer, Taha Hussein. Therefore, he is considered the first person to establish a school for improving Arabic Calligraphy in the Arab World.
The School received great fame and it was well known all over Egypt for its genuineness and the superiority of its students and graduates. The well known students of artist Mohamed Ibrahim who were superior in the Art of Arabic Calligraphy are: The late Essam El-Dein El-Sherif / Essam El-Din Abdel- Wahid /Abdel–Fattah Al-Sawy/ the late Ahmed Soleman and Aly Hassan.
His most important works and achievements
- His transcription of Quranic verses in Al-Rasoul Mosque in the city of Al-Madina Al-Menawara.
- His writings in various mosques in Egypt, Iraq, Syria and Tunis.
- Establishing the first museum for Arabic calligraphy in Alexandria, Damanhour and Mansoura. This exhibition toured all Egyptian governorates and cities.
- His writings on the walls of the Arab Countries League building and the walls of the mosque inside it.
- He is considered the pioneer to set-up an exhibition of Arabic calligraphy.
- He was invited by President Habib Bourguiba to conduct a historical survey of Arab archeology and writings in Tunis during 1963.
- He inscribed all the writings of Saad Zagloul, Mostafa Kamel and Mohamed Farid museums in response to institutions by the authorities.
- Transcribing all of the Quran in one page three times and he is considered the pioneer to write it that way since the appearance of Islam.
Artist Kamel Ibrahim
He is the younger brother of the late great artist Mohamed Ibrahim. He was born in Alexandria on 2 April 1925 where he died on 2 January 2002. He worked as Director of the Mohamed Ibrahim School for Arabic Calligraphy since 1970 after his brother's passing away.
He taught Arabic calligraphy and its history at Faculty of Fine Arts, Alexandria University. He was a calligraphy expert in all courts all over the Republic. He was the founder and the principal of the Mohamed Ibrahim Society for Arabic Calligraphy in Alexandria. He gave many lectures on Arabic handwriting at Tunis University.
His great talent in Arabic calligraphy emerged since his childhood. It developed through his primary stages of education. Then he joined the School of Arabic Calligraphy in Alexandria which was established by his elder brother Mohamed Ibrahim. He was his student and he learned from great Arabic calligraphers at that time such as Artist Sayed Ibrahim and Artist Mohamed Hosny.
He was at the top of all the students of the calligraphy diploma throughout Egypt. After his graduation and superiority in the Arabic calligraphy diploma, he started to teach at the School of Improving Handwriting in Alexandria which was run by his brother. His brother's death in May 1970 was a great shock to him but he soon recovered and started to undertake responsibility. He ran the school after his brother to honor him and immortalize his memory, so it was named the Mohamed Ibrahim School for Arabic Calligraphy.
Artist Kamel Ibrahim is not a traditional artist with the known meaning today, but he is a distinguished artist who has his special style, unique design, creative pen and modern work. He devoted his life to the service of Arabic calligraphy and to passing it onto next generations and showing its sides of beauty and keeping his tradition and creation. He lived and died with his pen striving for Arabic calligraphy.
He was a friend to many important personalities in the field of politics, art literature and media among them are the great singer Um Kalthoum, the great writer Mohamed Hassanein Heikal and the grand poet Ahmed Ramy.
His most important works and achievements
- He received the Culture Medal in 1976 from Tunisian President Habib Bourguiba.
- He held some exhibitions for Arabic calligraphy in Egypt, Germany, Romania and Tunis.
- He participated in an exhibition for Arabic calligraphy in 1986 at the Art Academy in Rome, Italy
- He was the representative of Egypt in many exhibitions in most Arab and some European countries.
- He participated in Alexandria Biennale several times. He won the first prize of the world exhibition of international writing in Pakistan.
- A special museum for his work has been established in Tunis.
- He gave several Arabic calligraphy lectures at his school and at the German Goethe Institute in Alexandria.
- He participated in the first exhibition for the Art of Arabic calligraphy in 2000 which was under the sponsorship of H.E. Farouk Hosny, Minister of Culture.
- He donated the kiswa of the holy Kaaba to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, to express his faith that the Library of Alexandria plays a great role in keeping our heritage.
