1943
Esmat Dawstashy is an Egyptian artist who was born to a Muslim family that relocated to Alexandria after being displaced from the island of Crete upon being persecuted. Dawstashy studied at the School of Fine Arts in Alexandria, and his work has been showcased in various locations across the Middle East and Europe.
He worked as a director for the Ministry of Culture in Egypt, as well as in the museum of Mahmoud Said, one of Egypt’s finest 20th century artists.
Dawstashy gave himself the title “Enlightened Dada,” since his surrealist work took inspiration from the early 20th century art movement. In his book “Portrait,” Dawstashy tackles the issue of the self-portrait. The book contains over 150 studies of Dawstashy himself, drawn by other artists.