was born in cairo in 1957 to Nubian and egyptian parents. Since graduating in 1984, he has lived in Edinburgh , and Le Marche, Italy. currently works between Italy and Great Britain.
in his drawings, paintings, sculptures and installations, Hassan experiments with the written and spoken word, exploring the theme of ancient languages erased by colonial domination. With invented, Kufic-inspired scripts, he plays with the symbols, textures and calligraphy of his Nubian heritage to explore the space between graphic symbolism and literal meaning in vibrant colours and collage.
As well as the solo show, "Fathi Hassan: “Haram Aleikum", curated by Rose Issa Projects at Leighton House Museum, London (2010), he has participated in “The Seven Valleys”, Rose Issa Projects, London (2013); “Re-Orientations II”, Rose Issa Projects, London (2012); "Arabicity " curated by Rose Issa Projects at the Beirut Exhibition Center, Lebanon, and "Arabicity - Such a Near East" curated by Rose Issa Projects at the Bluecoat Art Centre, Liverpool (2010).
Over the past 30 years he has participated in numerous solo and group shows in Italy (including the 1988 Venice Biennale), Belgium, Denmark, Egypt, Great Britain and New York. Recent solo exhibitions include “Faces and Voices”, John Rylands Library, Manchester (2012) Fathi Hassan: Transformation, Skoto Gallery New York (2011); Fathi Hassan, Leighton House Museum (2010); “Tasaheel", Centro d'Arte L'idioma, Ascoli Piceno (2010); "Kenuz", Domus Artis, Naples (2009) and a solo show at the Museo Nazionale Villa Pisani, Stra, Venice (2008). Group shows include: “Summer Exhibitions “ Royal Academy, London (2012); Rose Issa Projects at Abu Dhabi Art (2011); “Arabicity” at the Bluecoat Arts Centre, Liverpool, and Beirut Exhibition Center, Lebanon (2010); “Text Messages” at the October Gallery, London (2006); and an installation at The Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, Washington DC (2002).
His work is in the permanent collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum and the British Museum, London and The Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, Washington DC and Farjam collections.
He is the subject of the publications “Fathi Hassan” edited by Rose Issa (Beyond Art Production, 2010. ISBN: 978-0-9559515-6-5); “Fathi Hassan” by Achille Bonito Oliva and Luigi Meneghelli (Charta, 2000. ISBN-10: 8881582848; ISBN-13: 978-8881582846) and “Fathi Hassan” edited by Enrico Crispolti (Edizioni Della Rovere, 2002). He also features in the publications “Arabicity” (Rose Issa Projects and Beyond Art Production in collaboration with Beirut Exhibition Center, 2010. ISBN: 978-0-9559515-5-8); “Egyptian Artists” written and published by Books LLC (2010; ISBN-10: 1157093922; ISBN-13: 978-1157093923); “Sudanese Artists" written and published by Books LLC (2010; ISBN-10: 1158490410; ISBN-13: 978-1158490417); "Modern Egyptian Art 1910-2003" by Liliane Karnouk (American University in Cairo Press; 2005. ISBN-10: 9774248597; ISBN-13: 978-9774248597) and "Contemporary Egyptian Art" by Liliane Karnouk (American University in Cairo Press; 1995. ISBN-10: 9774243242; ISBN-13: 978-9774243240).
SELECTED SOLO SHOWS
1983
“Temperatura Flegrea”, Terme di Baia, (Naples), organised by the artists
1984
“Alflela: One Thousand Nights”, Studio Ricerca Aperta, Naples
“City with no boundaries”, Pomigliano d’Arco, Napoli, organised by G. Perretta, texts by F. Menna, G.Bartolucci, L. Mango, R. Bonfiglioli, G. Dipietrantonio, M. D’Ambrosio, N. Manferlotti, G. Di Martino.
1985
“A New Generation in Italian Art”, Fortezza Medicea, Siena, curated by Enrico Crispolti
1986
“New Tendencies in Italy, travelling show”, Centro Grisanti, Milan and Perterre, Florence
1987 “SAHARA”, Neon Gallery, curated by Gino Gianuizzi and Valeria Medici, Bologna
1988
Venice Biennial “Aperto 88”, organized by Dan Cameron and Giovanni Carandenti, Venice
“Capua – South East Direction”, Campano Museum, Capua
1989 “art salon Under 35”, painting prize, Ministery of Culture Award, Il Cairo, Egypt
1990
“If I gave you my soul ten times…”, Multimedia Gallery, curated by Romena Ioda, Brescia “Meeting of Peoples”, Villa Lazzarini, Rome
“XXXIII Young Egyptian Artists”, Egyptian Academy, Rome
1991
“Signs of Absence”, Prisma Gallery, curated by Luigi Meneghelli, Verona “AKHATON, 7 contemporary Egyptian artists”, Palazzo Diamanti, curated by Farina-Siniscalco, Ferrara
1992 “Ter-Dislocations of Art” Civic Gallery, curated by Achille Bonito Oliva,Termoli
1993
“Mare Nostrum III”, Immart Gallery, curated by R. Pontremoli, Rome
“Dioce- Calligrafie”, M. S. Filippo Neri, curated by E.B. Gentili, Turin
“Noah’ s Ark”, Trevi Flash Art Museum, Perugia, Umbria, curated by F.Pietracci, F.Monti, Trevi (PG)
1994 “Saharian Conflict”, Mashrabia Gallery, curated by Stefania Angrano, Il Cairo
1995 Contenitori Di Memoria, Annina Nosei Gallery, Curated by Francesca Pietracci,New York 1996
“The Abode of the Gods”, Villa Anselmi, CuRATED BY Luigi Meneghelli, Bolzano/Verona
1997
“Go, thought” ( Italian Art 1984/96, City Museum, curated by Edoardo di Mauro, Turin
“Under Different Skies”, curated by Artistio middle east Copenaghen - Denmark
1998 “Containers of Thought”, Seno Gallery, curated by Ambrogi/ G. Abbondio, Milan
1999
“El Mersal“, Pack Gallery, Milan
“Blessed Africa”, Riccione (Rosini), Bergamo (Oprandi) Fano (Una Arte) “Contemporary African Art”, Italian Institute for Africa and the Orient, Rome
2000
“TRANSAFRICANA”, Ex-church of S. Giorgio in Poggiale, curated by Africa and Mediterranea, bologna
“Alleviating Unstoppable Impulses”, University of Pavia, curated by Pietro Finelli, Pavia
2001
“Gold Imagination”, Vanvitellian Pier, Ancona, curated by Enrico Crispolti
2002
“A Postmodern Babel, Italian Art of the 1990s”, Palazzo Pigorini, organised by Edoardo di Mauro, Parma
“Africamarvel”, curated by Ursula e Michael Schmitt, Municipality of Rastatt, Germany
“Spirit Matter”, Art-pro-Art, curated by Franz Moratt, Lahr, Germany
“Desert Wind”, Palazzo esposizioni, curated by A. Nosei and F. Pietracci, Rome
“Donotfearindulgence”, Spirale Arte, Verona
2003
“Nile sand”, archaeological Museum, curated by Francesca Pietracci, Palestrina Roma
“9th Cairo International Biennial”, Cairo, Egypt
“Places of Affection”, Hotel de Ville, curated by Angelo Capasso, Brussels
2004
“Sicily and the Arabs”, Loggiato S. Bartolomeo, curated by Lorenzo Zichichi and G. Sicuri, Palermo
2005
“Textures: Word and Symbol in Contemporary African Art”, Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, Washington DC
“Inside Italians No.3”, Italian Institute of Culture & Novarum Projects, Copenhagen
“Travelling show with the Oprandi Gallery”, Bergamo, Hong Kong, Beirut, Brussels, Paris, and Granada
2006
“Text Messages: Five Contemporary Artists and the Art of the Word”, October Gallery, London
“Italian Dreams”, GASP Gallery, Brookline, Massachusetts, USA
“History of Containers”, Benciv Art Gallery, Pesaro
2007
“Fathi Hassan: Selected Works”, Skoto Gallery, New York
Contemporary Videofusion, Studio RO, Rome
“The temple of wind”, Genus gallery, curated by Gloria Gradassi, San Benedetto Del Tronto (AP) “Safir”, Palazzo Ducale, Urbino
“Inscribing Meaning”, Fowler Museum, Curated by Elisabeth Harney E Christine Kreamer, California “Italian Dreams and Dreaming of Italy”, travelling show: Teatro Junghans at SGuardi Sonori, Venice, curated by Carlo Faticoni
“Migration of dreams”, Antichi Forni, curated by Oriana Salvucci, Macerata “Espijismos”, San Pedro museum, curated by Aziza Alaoui, Mexico (Puebla)
“Horizon Lines:Landscape Between Description. and Abstraction”, Modern Art Gallery, curated by Maurizio Ciaccaluga, GenoA
2008
“Dakar Biennale 2008”, Senegal
“In the Mediterranean”, Ex Aurum, Pescara
“Marina di Ravenna Award”, Municipal Art, Museum of Ravenna
2009
“Antologica”, Villa Pisani, curated by Valli Cavedagna, Stra (Venezia) “Adorned/Unadorned”, Skoto Gallery, New York
"Containers of Light”, Andrea Art, text catalog Cecilia Antonini, Vicenza Invites, Museum Arnhem, Netherlands
“MAFRIQUE” , Spazio Moroso, Milan
“Arabian World Festival”, San Severina, Cortona
“Water, The Music, Soul”, Auditorium SanTA Margherita, Venice “Kenuz”, Domus Artis Gallery, curated by Milena Grosso, Naples
2010 “Arabicity”, Rose Issa Projects at Beirut Exhibition Center, Beirut, Lebanon
“Arabicity”, Rose Issa Projects at the Bluecoat Arts Centre, Liverpool
“El Muhager”, meeting with Fathi Hassan, Fondazione Balestra E Studio, Fioravanti, Sorrivoli
“Tasaheel”, L'Idioma art centre , Ascoli Piceno
2011
“Summer Show”, Skoto Gallery, New York
“Mixed Hanging”, Rose Issa Projects, London
Rose Issa Projects at Abu Dhabi Art
“Signs Of Our Times”, Rose Issa Projects,
Leighton House Museum, London
“Haram Aleikum, Notions Of Shame”,Rose Issa Projects, London “mediamorfosi 2.0”, sud lab, curated by Gabriele Perretta, Portici (Naples)
“The art of writing”, Art Forum of Wiesbaden, Germany
“Trasformation”, Skoto Gallery, JunE - JUly, New York “Abu Dhabi Art”, Rose Issa Projects, Dubai
2012
“Re-Orientations II”, Rose Issa Projects, London
Sharjah biennial, Dubai
“Summer Exhibitions “ Royal Academy, London
“The skin I live in”, Feb/March, Pack Gallery, Milan
“ONLY WORDS. Great artists of the second half of the 20th century”, Per Mari e Monti Gallery, Civitanove Marche
“Faces & Voices”, Manchester Museum
2013
“Re- Orientations II”, Rose Issa Projects , London “The Seven Valleys”, Rose Issa Projects, London
“Egyptology”, British Museum, curated by Venetia Porter
2014
“The Depth Of Hope”, curated by Caitlin Doherty, V. c.u,qatar , Doha. “Asemic”, Hallen Van Het Belfort, curated by Michel Dewilde, Cultuurcentrum Brugge, Belgium