SAID HEDDAYA (EGYPTIAN 1937-2017)
The Bird (PDA)
1983
signed and dated Said Heddaya 1983 (lower left) and in Arabic (lower right)
intaglio print, framed
37 x 33 cm (14 1/2 x 13 in)

PROVENANCE
Dr. Mohamed Said Farsi

Dr. Mohamed Said Farsi (1934-2019) was one of the world’s great patrons of Egyptian art. In 1956 he was one of only 35 students from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia sent abroad for further education. Having obtained a BA in Architecture and Town Planning from the University of Alexandria in Egypt, he returned to Saudi Arabia and in 1972 became the Mayor of Jeddah. During his lifetime, he assembled the most important private collection of Modern Egyptian art.

His collection became the first of its type to be fully documented with the publication of ‘A Museum in a Book: The Farsi Art Collection – the “Egyptian Works” owned by Dr. Mohammed Said Farsi’ by the critic and scholar Dr. Sobhy Sharouny (published 1998).

Born in Alexandria in 1937, Said Heddaya obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Cairo University. He then joined the Faculty of Fine Arts in Alexandria in 1958, as a master’s student, where he studied under several key contemporary artists, including Hamid Nada, and Maher Raef, who inspired his subject matter. The characters in Said Hedeya’s art are derived from Egyptian folklore. In particular Said’s works drew on customs, such as marriage and death, and tales from Sidi Bishr, Alexandria, by the sea. The birds in his prints are a symbol of goodness and bravery, and the fish represent fertility.

Heddaya’s work also focuses on the role of colour, and its ability to express the subject matter. Said experimented with several printing techniques, including colour relief printing using woodblocks, and following his travels to Italy, acid etching and silk screen printing.