Author Testimonials

“No one who had met him could help but admire his talent and humanity, a sweet spring breeze, which filled our lives with joy and happiness.” 

Louis Griss  

“He is beyond words. The enduring Egyptian spirit and sense of humour, with its unique charisma, eluded many artists but Gamal Kamel was one of the few artists who really captured for the canvas.” 

Ahmed Bahaa Eldin  

“Through his work in Sabah El Keir and Rose Al Youssef, Gamal Kamel had become part of the Egyptian being, enmeshed into the fabric of its society. Despite being exposed to many western schools of art, there is something genuinely authentic about every painting, not only through the subject, but also through his unique technique.”  

Fuoad Dawara  

“Humanity’s envoy to the ethereal realm of feminine beauty and perfection.” 

Moustafa Mahmoud 

“He tells wonderful stories through his bold, brisk brush, with an ending. Always leaving you with a lack of closure, for the bird does not sing in the tree all day, but only at dusk and dawn and that is why always want to hear it.” 

Kamal El Mallakh 

“His portrait work does not only present a photographic vision  for the faces and people that he sees, but it dives into their souls and project a rare glimpse into their spiritual side through harmony and colour. Sometimes it is loud and powerful, other times it is as subtle as a whisper. “ 

Fatma Hassan  

“Through his paintings, his lines shape and form take on a life of their own, as befits an impressionism master (?). What he added was a touch of life,  beaming back at you from the canvas. He has truly transcended to the zenith of the artform, rising through a sea of modern styles with somewhat reduced sense of the human.”   

Mokhtar El Attar  

“During our youth, Egyptian journalism had already been familiar with the art of the caricature, but was not yet acquainted with the art of the portrait. Gamal Kamel was one of the few artists who had cornered the portrait medium. Formidable and masterful in his work, he had a real feel for the artform. Even when he was younger, before colour and offset print, he still managed to bring his pieces to life on the fragile and limited paper.  

He was one of the masters of the portrait, before transitioning to model painting which appealed to him as it fully encompassed the character of his subject. Projecting a thousand expressions in a single face. His talent portrayed the prince and the peasant with equal brilliance, bringing out the best of both. Hence his formidable fame as the Rose El Youssef weekly painting artist, where he painted numerous faces; the struggling employee, the put-upon husband, the manager, the tired labourer and the smiling farmer. Upon viewing his work, you could not help but recognise the character which he has drawn, he was the custodian of the faces of Egypt.” 

Ahmed Bahaa Eldin