Dina Fahmy El Rouby, Thursday 23 Apr 2026
Within the landscape of contemporary Egyptian visual arts, Nazli Madkour occupies a singular and distinguished position. Born in Cairo in 1949, she did not follow the conventional academic path in fine arts.
She first distinguished herself through intellectual rigor, graduating in political science and economics from Cairo University in 1971, before obtaining a diploma in management in 1978 and a master’s degree in political economy in 1981 from the American University in Cairo (AUC).
This strong intellectual grounding would go on to inform and elevate her artistic vision.
In 1981, she made the decisive choice to leave her position as an economic expert at the Arab Industrial Development Centre of the Arab League to devote herself entirely to art. She pursued independent studies under the guidance of prominent Egyptian artists such as Mostafa El Razzaz, Farghali Abdel Hafiz, and Margo Veillon. She further deepened her knowledge of art history at the AUC before obtaining a certificate in artistic studies from Studio Arts College International in 1982.
This transition marked the beginning of a remarkably coherent and enduring artistic journey.