Ahmed Kamel (born 1981 in Cairo) is an Egyptian multi-disciplinary visual artist. He studied photography and moving images at the Academy of Visual Arts Leipzig, earning a Master’s degree in 2014. Before that, he majored in fine arts, specializing in painting, at Helwan University in Cairo, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in 2003.
He has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions across the Middle East and Europe, including at the Contemporary Image Collective in Cairo, Townhouse Gallery in Cairo, the 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 has been an artist-in-residence at The Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs in Berlin, Mediamatic in Amsterdam, Pro Helvetia in Bern, Kunststiftung NRW in Düsseldorf, and Amongst Neighbours in Istanbul.
Kamel founded the non-profit organization Zuker e.V. for cultural exchange between Europe and the Arab world and has served as its chairman since 2016. He lives and works in Berlin and Cairo.
Artistic Practice
Ahmed Kamel explores how society is constructed and how it idealizes its identity through visual representations. He focuses on self-image, both on an individual and a collective level, and examines the visual encounters between different communities. Balancing observation and recontextualization, he works in a multidisciplinary manner, 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)
in Photography and Moving Images, Academy of Visual Arts Leipzig (HGB), Germany.
1998-2003 Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts, majoring in Painting, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt.
Grants/Awards
2021 Neustart, 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 “El-Marasim,” Luxor’s 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, France.
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 français d’Égypte (Le CFCC), Mounira, Cairo, Egypt.
Group Exhibitions
2024 “1-54 Art Fair,” DaDa, Katharina Maria Raab Gallery, Marrakech, 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, Germany.
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, Hungary.
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 Gallery, The American University in 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.
