Evelyn Ashamallah

Evelyn Ashamallah (Arabic: إيفيلين عشم الله) is an Egyptian contemporary artist, best known for her vibrant and surrealistic works. Born to a Coptic Christian family in Desouk, Kafr el-Sheikh, Egypt in 1948 to Ashamallah Eskandar Hanna and Elaine Mikhail Hanna. Evelyn Ashamallah married an Egyptian Journalist, Mahmoud Yousry and they have two sons, Bassem Yoursi and Salam Yoursi. Evelyn Ashamallah also has three brothers. Evelyn Ashamallah is part of the 1970s Egyptian generation which was prompted after the defeat in the Arab-Israeli War of 1967 to adopt a different trend from the realistic art that dominated Egyptian visual art in the 1960s. In the 1980s she moved to Algeria for a few years.

Evelyn Ashamallah art was influenced by Abdel Hadi el-Gazzar and Hamed Nada, who both produced folk fantasy paintings with an Egyptian-styled surrealist touch. She has used various media, including oil, wax, and acrylic. Evelyn Ashamallah's work usually have great vibrant colors schemes and unrealistic proportions. Ashamallah has a fluid and adaptive approach when making her art pieces.

Ashamallah has been featured in many exhibition locally and internationally throughout her career. Receiving many awards and honors due to her works globally.

Education In 1973 she graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts at Alexandria University.

Careers Evelyn Ashamallah worked as General Authority of Cultural Palaces as a professional artist. From 1973 to 1975, she worked as a writer for Rose al-Yūsuf magazine. Ashamallah was also part of Fine Arts Administration of the Republican Cultural Authority. From 1993 to 1995, Ashamallah was Director of Mohammed Nagy Museum. From 2000 to 2002, she was Director of Egypt Modern Art Museum.

Artworks Evelyn Ashamallah's art pieces are narrative, vibrant and playful. In some pieces, Evelyn Ashamallah takes memories of her life and incorporates them into the piece.

— Exhibition in the Round Hall of the Syndicate of Fine Artists 1989.

— Exhibition in Khan Al-Maghrabi Gallery, Zamalek, October 2017.

—Egyptian Women’s Creations Exhibition (the centenary of the departure of Ali Mubarak), the Supreme Council of Culture 1994.

Evelyn Ashamallah's artwork was the cover of the book Cultural Criticism in Egyptian Women's Writing by Caroline Seymour-Jorn

Evelyn Ashamallah's work was also in the book Anthology Mediterranean Waves edited by Ashraf Aboul-Yazid.

Ashamallah has edited two essays about critic Kamal Gweily and Naeem Attya, in commemoration session of the Egyptian critics and artists by the Fine Arts Committee of the Supreme Council of Culture.