User:Mohamed Hijji

Mohamed Ibrahim Ahmed Hijji born (16th of August 1940-) in Daqahliyyah, Egypt. He initiated "جورنال سندوب” / Sandoob’s Newspaper (1956- 1968), he worked as a painter and editor in "مجلة المنصورة” / Mansoura Magazine (1961-1963) and " مؤسسة روزاليوسف" Rosalev Foundation (1963-1980), painter-journalist at "بمجلة الطليعة مؤسسة الأهرام" / Al-Taliah Magazine, Al-Ahram Foundation, (1964-1974), painter and editor of the cultural week newspaper in Tripoli - Libya (1974-1977), director of the Department of Technical Affairs and Publishing, League of Arab States (1980-2001) and has been a full-time artist since 2001. Hijji has a number of books, the topics revolve around humanitarian, social and cultural issues, including: "شمال يمين ـ تونس" / Left right - Tunisia, "رسوم من ليبيا ـ طرابلس" /Fees from Libya - Tripoli, "تحت الحصار ـ عمان" / Under siege - Amman, "رسام يقرأ القرآن مصر" / Painter reading the Qur'an - Egypt. Hijji had his own exhibitions: "شعب تحت الحصار" / "People Under Siege" 100 drawings about the Aqsa Intifada - Ofoq Hall (1) (June 2002), "الأحلام" / "The Dreams" in Kuwait (2004),and "أحلام معتادة " / "Usual Dreams" at the Fine Arts Gallery, Opera (2005).His work was also featured in different exhibitions in Cairo such as: "معرض الرسوم الصحفية" / Press Drawings, the first session, Arts Palace (March 2004), "مهرجان الإبداعات التشكيلية الموجهة للطفل" / Festival of Visual Arts for the child in the Arts Palace (January 2006), " لمسة حب" / A Touch of Love at the Fine Arts Hall, Musical Library (May 2010),"رحلة العائلة المقدسة" / The Journey of the Holy Family Picasso Gallery, Zamalek (June 2012),and  " (المعرض العام للفنون التشكيلية الدورة ( 36" / The General Exhibition of Visual Arts (36) (June 2014). His work was exhibited in different cities such as Seville, Spain (1992), Lisbon, Portugal (1998), and "ملتقى الأقصر الدولى الرابع للتصوير بالأقصر" / Fourth International Luxor Photography Forum, Luxor (December 2011) (Honorees).

Early Life
Mohamed Ibrahim Ahmed Hijji, an Egyptian artist, born on the 16th of August in 1940 in ‘Sandoob’ in the Nile Delta. He was inspired by the greenery  he was exposed to on a daily basis along with his love for art, he decided to Major in Photography in The School of Fine Arts (كلية فنون جميله). He graduated in 1963 with a BFA in Photography. After the British colonization on Egypt ended, 1956, Hijji wanted to make the people of Sandoob aware of what is happening, he wanted them to be up to date for them to aid Egypt in such a sensitive period. Hijji started painting on walls of houses using primitive paint which wore out due to the the rain and children ruining it. So he started a newspaper along with a group of friends, "جورنال سندوب” / Sandoob’s Newspaper, it was not a printed publication, rather a simulation of a newspaper painted on wood which was 100x70 cm and displayed on a busy street for maximum exposure. The project then expanded to be 20x4 m. The project discussed current situations of Egypt at the time and other topics of interest to the people of Sandoob along with illustrations. This project continued, mid each month they published a new piece, for ten years. ‘Sandoob’s Newpaper’ was discontinued in 1968.

Career
Hijji took part in founding مجلة “المنصورة”/ Mansoura’s Magazine, during his time as a student in The School of Fine Arts. He took part as an illustrator and a commentator together, he aimed at presenting work that would be relative to all social classes of Egypt. Hijji then moved on in 1965 to work in ’ مجلة الطليعة’/ Magazine of Talye’a as an artist and then worked as a painter-journalist and an editor at  ‘مجلة روزاليوسف’/ Rozaleyoussef Magazine.

Hijji illustrated ‘مسلسل قصص الأنبياء’/ A religious series that tells stories of prophets, which was written by Mohamed Gad in 1969. By the 70s, Hijji redirected his work towards print, as in books such as "رسام يقرأ القرآن” / An artist reads Qur’an. Verses from the Islamic holy book inspired Hijji, he drew based on his inspiration, this ended up being a book with 33 photographs of paintings inspired by 33 verses from the Qur’an, published in English, Arabic and French.

In 1977, another book by Hijji was published called "شمال يمين”/ Left Right, he aimed for this book to document revolutions against dictatorship that took place from the west to the east. The book was printed in Tunisia then printed again in Egypt in 2010, it was renamed to “العار”/ Disgrace to show how deep this book is. The book contained 38 paintings, each painting was given a piece of poetry by an Arab poet that Hijji saw expressed its meaning, the book was printed in black and white to add to its dramatic feel. Hijji also made a set of 75 surrealistic paintings that were printed along with Naguib Mahfouz’s "أحلام معتادة”/ Usual Dreams. Hijji then took on to make a ‘visual poem’ book that contained more than 250 paintings, with an expressionist style, " رسوم من ليبيا" / Paintings from Libya. 

During the Egyptian revolution in 2011, Hijji participated by uploading his book ‘Disgrace’ on Facebook and continuously uploading his paintings, as he believed this revolution was influenced by digital media, so it was the best medium for his work to reach a wider range of audience.

In 2012, Hijji Ilustrated "قصة نوح" / The story of Noah, expressing the struggle of Noah to convince the people to be virtuous and the mission to save those who believe from others who don't. In the same year, Hijji made a collection of paintings inspired by the events that took place in Mohamed Mahmoud (November 2011), the collection was called "عيون الحرية" / Eyes Of Freedom.

In 2014, Hijji uploaded a collection with the subject of ًً"نساء - أبيض وأسود" / Women-Black & White, it mainly showed how good he was with illustration and how he was able to print black and white illustrations of good quality at a time when colored printouts were expensive. 

In the same year, Hijji uploaded another collection, "الحروفية" / Calligraphism, which is an art style founded by Arab and Muslim calligraphers that uses both illustration and calligraphy through deconstructing Arabic letters with the aim of it serving a specific concept of the artist. 

Hijji uploaded another collection to his page in 2014 by the accompanying a published book called "مذكرات جندي مصري" / Memoirs of An Egyptian Soldier which was by the late Dr. Ahmed Hijji, Mohamed Hijji's younger brother who asked for his memoirs to be published, and so Hijji published them along with a collection of paintings inspired by the memoirs. [16 ]

Exhibitions
Hijji has made work meant to be exhibited as a tribute to the Palestinian people, the exhibition was called "أفق واحد”/ One Horizon, it showed more than 100 posters in Giza, Egypt. Hijji had his own exhibitions: "شعب تحت الحصار" / "People Under Siege" 100 drawings about the Aqsa Intifada - Ofoq Hall (1) (June 2002), "الأحلام" / "The Dreams" in Kuwait (2004),and "أحلام معتادة " / "Usual Dreams" at the Fine Arts Gallery, Opera (2005).His work was also featured in different exhibitions in Cairo such as: "معرض الرسوم الصحفية" / Press Drawings, the first session, Arts Palace (March 2004), "مهرجان الإبداعات التشكيلية الموجهة للطفل" / Festival of Visual Arts for the child in the Arts Palace (January 2006), " لمسة حب" / A Touch of Love at the Fine Arts Hall, Musical Library (May 2010),"رحلة العائلة المقدسة" / The Journey of the Holy Family Picasso Gallery, Zamalek (June 2012),and  " (المعرض العام للفنون التشكيلية الدورة ( 36" / The General Exhibition of Visual Arts (36) (June 2014). His work was exhibited in different cities such as Seville, Spain (1992), Lisbon, Portugal (1998), and "ملتقى الأقصر الدولى الرابع للتصوير بالأقصر" / Fourth International Luxor Photography Forum, Luxor (December 2011) (Honorees).