The Life and work of Inji Efflatoun

Barjeel Art Foundation

The Life and work of Inji Efflatoun

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A valuable addition to Barjeel Art Foundation’s publications on Arab art, this book sheds new light on Inji Efflatoun’s biography and works. In addition to a number of newly-commissioned essays, the book presents an English translation of a volume originally published in Arabic in 1993 under the title Mudhakirat Inji Efflatoun: Min al-Tufula ila al-Sajn [The Memoir of Inji Efflatoun: From Childhood to Prison]. Based on an interview with the artist - a leading Egyptian feminist, political activist, curator, and visual artist - the book contextualises the political, social, and cultural dimensions of a complex and turbulent period in Egypt’s history.

The influential Egyptian artist and activist Inji Efflatoun (1924-89) was a pioneer of modern Egyptian art. Commissioned by the Barjeel Art Foundation, Sharjah, The Life and Work of Inji Efflatoun vividly captures her journey from a privileged upbringing to her courageous activism and imprisonment. During the late 1940s and 1950s, her work was indebted to the social realism of Mexican muralism. After she was arrested and secretly imprisoned as a communist in 1959, she continued painting in prison, at first portraits and later landscapes. The lively brushstrokes and intense color of her paintings reminded some observers of Van Gogh and Bonnard. Accompanying this translation are insightful scholarly essays and interviews that delve into Efflatoun's artistic legacy and sociopolitical impact. This volume offers an exploration of her enduring contributions to art and social justice, making it an essential read for those interested in Middle Eastern art and history.

Dimensions: ‎24.38 x 2.54 x 25.4 cm
Weight: 1.13 kg
Language: English
320 pages
Hardcover
Publisher: Skira Editore
ISBN: 9788857253398 
Published in August 2025

This item is eligible for international shipping.

Skira is a world-leading art publisher, renowned for the highest visual and academic standards. Covering the entire history of art, Skira continually pushes the boundaries of artistic meaning and fosters originality by questioning assumed truths.

Founded in 1928 by Albert Skira, the company has a legacy of presenting groundbreaking works on Picasso, Ovid, Surrealism, and more. Skira provides a platform for artists and gallery owners to share their stories and showcase their work, embodying the perpetual change of art and the spirit of learning without limits.

Barjeel Art Foundation is an independent, UAE-based initiative established to manage, preserve and exhibit an extensive collection of Modern and Contemporary Arab Art. The foundation’s guiding principle is to contribute to the intellectual development of the art scene in the Arab region by building a prominent, publicly accessible art collection in the UAE. Part of this objective involves developing a public platform to foster critical dialogue around contemporary art practices with a focus on artists with Arab heritage internationally. The foundation strives to create an open-ended enquiry that responds to and conveys the nuances inherent to Arab histories beyond borders of culture and geography. By hosting in-house exhibitions, lending artwork to international forums, producing print and online publications, and fashioning interactive public programmes, the foundation strives to serve as an informative resource for contemporary art by Arab artists both locally and on the global stage. In addition to building an informative database of artists, the foundation is seeking to develop an educational programme that both understands and involves the local community. By establishing partnerships with arts and cultural institutions internationally, the foundation looks to create opportunities to encourage public awareness of the importance of art to the community.

In 2018, Barjeel signed a contract with the Sharjah Museums Authority to open a long-term exhibition at the Sharjah Art Museum, which features a selection of key modernist paintings, sculptures and mixed media artworks from the Barjeel Art Foundation collection.

Skira is a world-leading art publisher, renowned for the highest visual and academic standards. Covering the entire history of art, Skira continually pushes the boundaries of artistic meaning and fosters originality by questioning assumed truths.

Founded in 1928 by Albert Skira, the company has a legacy of presenting groundbreaking works on Picasso, Ovid, Surrealism, and more. Skira provides a platform for artists and gallery owners to share their stories and showcase their work, embodying the perpetual change of art and the spirit of learning without limits.

Barjeel Art Foundation is an independent, UAE-based initiative established to manage, preserve and exhibit an extensive collection of Modern and Contemporary Arab Art. The foundation’s guiding principle is to contribute to the intellectual development of the art scene in the Arab region by building a prominent, publicly accessible art collection in the UAE. Part of this objective involves developing a public platform to foster critical dialogue around contemporary art practices with a focus on artists with Arab heritage internationally. The foundation strives to create an open-ended enquiry that responds to and conveys the nuances inherent to Arab histories beyond borders of culture and geography. By hosting in-house exhibitions, lending artwork to international forums, producing print and online publications, and fashioning interactive public programmes, the foundation strives to serve as an informative resource for contemporary art by Arab artists both locally and on the global stage. In addition to building an informative database of artists, the foundation is seeking to develop an educational programme that both understands and involves the local community. By establishing partnerships with arts and cultural institutions internationally, the foundation looks to create opportunities to encourage public awareness of the importance of art to the community.

In 2018, Barjeel signed a contract with the Sharjah Museums Authority to open a long-term exhibition at the Sharjah Art Museum, which features a selection of key modernist paintings, sculptures and mixed media artworks from the Barjeel Art Foundation collection.

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