1933-2023

Fouad Taj was born in Gharbia on July 1, 1933. He obtained a BA in Painting from the Faculty of Fine Arts, Cairo University, in 1958, and a PhD in Art Philosophy from the Italian Academy of Arts, in 1970. He was appointed a teaching assistant at the Faculty of Fine Arts , Alexandria, in 1960. He worked as a teacher at the same faculty, and is a professor and head of the Painting Department at the Faculty of Arts, Alexandria University.

He worked as a consultant for the restoration of the presidential palaces in Alexandria, a photographer for prominent figures in the state, and participated in a number of private exhibitions inside and outside Egypt, including the Ninth Alexandria Biennale 1972, the Eleventh 1976, the Thirteenth 1980, the Venice International Biennale (photography – sculpture) 1964, the Sao Paulo Biennale in Brazil, and the Fourth Paris Biennale for Youth.

He received many awards, including: a bronze medal from the First Alexandria Biennale for Mediterranean Arts, July 1955, the Second in December 1957, a gold medal from the Third Alexandria Biennale for Mediterranean Arts, December 1959, a certificate of appreciation for the Egyptian pavilion at the Venice International Biennale in 1964, the first prize at the 9th Alexandria International Biennale in 1972, then the 11th in 1976, and the 13th in 1980 in photography and sculpture