Biography
Ahmed Kamel (*1981 in Cairo) is an Egyptian multi-disciplinary artist, he studied Photography and Moving Images at the Academy of Visual Arts Leipzig (Master’s degree in 2014) and before that Fine Arts, majoring in Painting at Helwan University in Cairo (bachelor’s degree in 2003).

He has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions in the Middle East and Europe, including exhibitions at Contemporary Image Collective in Cairo, Townhouse Gallery in Cairo, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk, Brandts Museum for Photo Art in Odense, East Wing in Doha, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe in Hamburg and Folkwang Museum in Essen. He was an artist in residency at The Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs in Berlin, Mediamatic in Amsterdam, ProHelvetia in Bern, Kunststiftung NRW in Düsseldorf, and Amongst Neighbours in Istanbul. He lives and works in Berlin and Cairo.

Kamel founded the non-profit organization Zuker e.V. for the cultural exchange between Europe and the Arab world and has been serving as its chairman since 2016. He lives and works in Berlin and Cairo.

Artistic practice
Ahmed Kamel considers how society is constructed and how it idealizes its identity through visual representations. In doing so, he focuses on self-image, not only on an individual but also on a collective level, and the visual encounters between different communities. Between observation and recontextualization, he works multidisciplinary using various media such as photography, video, drawing, and installation.

Represented by Katharina Maria Raab

Education
2012- 2014 Master’s degree (Meisterschüler von Prof. Tina Bara),
major in Photography and Moving Images, Academy of Visual Arts Leipzig (HGB), DE
1998-2003 Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts, major in Painting, Helwan University, Cairo, EG

Grants/Awards
2021 Neustart and Bildkunst Kulturwerk, Berlin, Germany
2016-2017 The Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, Galleries Association of Berlin, Germany
2010 Mediamatic, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2010 Prohelvetia, Progr, Bern, Switzerland
2009 Land NRW, Dusseldorf, Germany
2009 “Amongst Neighbours”, Istanbul, Turkey
2006 “Images of the Middle East”, Copenhagen, Denmark
2004 “Manhit El-Marasim”, Luxors art studios, Ministry of Culture, Egypt

Solo Exhibitions
2023 “Did Not Happen”, Cologne Contemporary Concept, Köln, Germany
2018 “Did Not Happen”, zone E, Essen, Germany
2017 “Did Not Happen”, Rooftop Studio Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Berlin, Germany
2016 “Sight/Spiral”, Erstererster, Berlin, Germany
2015 “About Paradise/Repetitive Units”, Zone B Gallery, Berlin, Germany
2011 “Extension”, Cinéma les Variétés, Marseille, French
2010 “Local Star”, Mashrabia Gallery, Cairo, Egypt
2010 “By law”, Marks blond, Bern, Switzerland
2010 “Spiral”, Stadtgalerie Progr, Bern, Switzerland
2009 “Shop-Abutting”, ArtElLewa, Cairo, Egypt
2008 “Home-the Self”, Institut francais d’Egypte (Le CFCC), Mounira, Cairo, Egypt

Group Exhibitions
2024 “1-54 Art Fair”, DaDa , Katharina Maria Raab Gallery, Morocco
2023  “Menart Fair”, Palais d’Iéna, Katharina Maria Raab Gallery, Paris, France 2023 “Otherwise, Agaze”, ARD, Cairo, Egypt
2023 “Art in War”, Christophe Person Gallery, Paris, France
2023 “1-54 Art Fair”, La Mamounia, Katharina Maria Raab Gallery, Marrakech, Morocco
2022 “History leads to twisted mountains”, ARD, Cairo, Egypt
2022 “Abutting Afar”, Photo Festival, Kaiserslautern
2022 “1-54 Art Fair”, Christie’s, Katharina Maria Raab Galerie, Paris, France
2021 “Drawing Room”, Katharina Maria Raab Gallery, Lisbon, Portugal
2020 “Faraway so close”, Haus am Lützowplatz, Berlin, Germany
2020 “Positions”, Haus am Lützowplatz, Berlin, Germany
2020 “PhotoBasel”, Katharina Maria Raab Gallery, Berlin, Germany
2019 “About Paradise” Fotohaus, PARIS-BERLIN, Arles, France
2019 “1-54 Art Fair”, La Mamounia, Katharina Maria Raab Gallery, Marrakech, Morocco
2019 “Power Struggle”, Katharina Maria Raab Gallery, Factory TT, Tehran, Iran
2018 “1-54 Art Fair”, Pioneer Works, Katharina Maria Raab Gallery, New York, USA
2016 “Fragments of HiStories”, Neuer Sächsischer Kunstverein, Dresden, Germany
2016 “Art Market Budapest”, Galleries Association of Berlin, Ungarn
2015 “Wohin gehen wir”, Motorenhalle, Dresden, Germany
2014 “Cairo Open City”, East Wing, Doha, Qatar
2014 “Arab Contemporary”, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebæk, Denmark
2013 “Alternative Nomadi”, Fabbrica del Vapore, Milan, Italy
2013 “Cairo Open City”, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg, Germany
2013 “Twice”, Academy of Visual Arts Leipzig (HGB), Germany
2013 “Errors Allowed”, Mediterranea 16 – The Young Artist Biennial, Ancona, Italy
2013 “Cairo Open City”, Museum Folkwang, Essen, Germany
2013 “Prekär”, Academy of Visual Arts Leipzig (HGB), Germany
2012 “Cairo Open City”, 5th European Month of Photography, Berlin, Germany
2012 “Cairo Open City”, Museum für Photographie, Braunschweig, Germany
2012 “Cairo Documenta 2”, Viennoise Hotel, Cairo, Egypt
2011 “Shaabi” Serpentine Gallery, London, England
2011 “Funkenschlag”, OKK, Berlin, Germany
2011 “Propaganda by Monuments”, Contemporary Image Collective (CIC), Cairo, Egypt
2010 “Cairo Documenta”, Viennoise Hotel, Cairo, Egypt
2010 “Noord”, Mediamatic, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2010 “20 years Mashrabia”, Mashrabia Gallery, Cairo, Egypt
2009 “Invisible Presence”, Samaa Khana, Cairo, Egypt
2009 “Embedded Realities”, Kunstraum, Dusseldorf, Germany
2009 “20th Youth Salon”, Darat al Funun, Amman, Jordan
2009 “Under Constriction”, Hayaka arti, Istanbul, Turkey
2009 “20th Cairo Youth Salon”, Palace of Arts, Cairo, Egypt
2009 “Photocairo 4”, Brandts Museet for Fotokunst, Odense, Denmark
2008 “Photocairo 4”, Townhouse Gallery, Cairo, Egypt
2007 “Malash-Kairo”, Meinblau Kunst & Atelierhaus, Berlin, Germany
2007 “A Face In Cairo”, Falaki Galley, The American University in Cairo (AUC), Egypt
2007 “Cartography”, Contemporary Image Collective (CIC), Cairo, Egypt
2004 “5th Nile Salon”, Palace of Arts, Cairo Opera House, Egypt
2004 “Pick 2”, Townhouse Gallery, Cairo, Egypt
2002 “Obligatory Direction”, Cordoba Gallery, Cairo, Egypt

Museums
2014 Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebæk, Denmark
2013 Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg, Germany
2013 Museum Folkwang, Essen, Germany
2012 Museum für Photographie, Braunschweig, Germany
2009 Brandts Museum for Fotokunst, Odense, Denmark