Editor in Chief
Youssef Sidhom
Watani
عربى English French
  • News
    • Accidents
    • Crime
    • Diplomatic briefcase
    • NewsLine
    • Outside Cairo
    • Special Occasions
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • International media
    • Reader`s Corner
    • Opinion
  • Politics
    • Elections
    • International Politics
    • Islamisation Politics
    • National Affairs
    • Parliament
    • Politics
    • Protests
    • Rights
    • Terrorism
  • Culture
    • Antiquity
    • Art
    • Books
    • Culture
    • Drama
    • Egyptology
    • Festivals
    • Films
    • Heritage
    • Islamisation Culture
    • Media
    • Museums
    • Music
    • TV
  • Coptic
    • Church Affairs
    • Coptic Affairs
    • Coptic Culture
    • Copts in the Media
    • Coptology
    • Copts Abroad
    • Religious
      • P. Shenouda: Bible Study
    • Sectarian
    • Inter-religious
    • Holy Family
  • Features
    • Counselling Corner
    • features
    • Economy
      • Business
    • Education
    • Social Issues
      • Behaviour
      • Mothers Day
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Humour
    • In memorial
    • Interviews
    • Nile
    • Profile
    • Special needs
    • Sports
    • Technology
    • Tourism
    • Wars
    • Women
    • Youth
  • Watani Special Features
    • Egypt – Arab Spring
      • 25 January Revolution
      • 25 Jan revolution, one year on
      • Egypt post-30 June
    • Watani Milestones
      • 20 years Watani International
      • 10 years Watani International
      • Watani Jubilee
    • Pope Shenouda
    • Pope Tawadros
    • Watani Forum
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Accidents
    • Crime
    • Diplomatic briefcase
    • NewsLine
    • Outside Cairo
    • Special Occasions
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • International media
    • Reader`s Corner
    • Opinion
  • Politics
    • Elections
    • International Politics
    • Islamisation Politics
    • National Affairs
    • Parliament
    • Politics
    • Protests
    • Rights
    • Terrorism
  • Culture
    • Antiquity
    • Art
    • Books
    • Culture
    • Drama
    • Egyptology
    • Festivals
    • Films
    • Heritage
    • Islamisation Culture
    • Media
    • Museums
    • Music
    • TV
  • Coptic
    • Church Affairs
    • Coptic Affairs
    • Coptic Culture
    • Copts in the Media
    • Coptology
    • Copts Abroad
    • Religious
      • P. Shenouda: Bible Study
    • Sectarian
    • Inter-religious
    • Holy Family
  • Features
    • Counselling Corner
    • features
    • Economy
      • Business
    • Education
    • Social Issues
      • Behaviour
      • Mothers Day
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Humour
    • In memorial
    • Interviews
    • Nile
    • Profile
    • Special needs
    • Sports
    • Technology
    • Tourism
    • Wars
    • Women
    • Youth
  • Watani Special Features
    • Egypt – Arab Spring
      • 25 January Revolution
      • 25 Jan revolution, one year on
      • Egypt post-30 June
    • Watani Milestones
      • 20 years Watani International
      • 10 years Watani International
      • Watani Jubilee
    • Pope Shenouda
    • Pope Tawadros
    • Watani Forum
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
Watani
ع Fr

Adel Nassief (1962 – 2021): Coptic icons, mosaics, frescoes in Egypt, Europe, America

22 March, 2021 - (4:01 PM)
0 0

Wagdy Habashy

Adel Nassief (1962 – 2021): Coptic icons, mosaics, frescoes in Egypt, Europe, America
86
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

With reporting by Angele Reda, Nevine Gadallah, Islam Abul-Wafa

On 19 March, Egypt was deeply saddened to lose to COVID-19 Adel Nassief (1962 – 2021), a contemporary Coptic iconographer and artist whose works placed him in a class all of his own. Mr Nassief passed away at age of 58 in an Alexandria hospital.

“With love and appreciation”

Pope Tawadros II mourned Nassief on behalf of the Coptic Orthodox Church in a statement that offered condolences to his family, friends, and students. “With love and appreciation,” the statement said, “we remember Mr Nassief’s sincere service and many contributions throughout the years to the Coptic Church through his unforgettable artworks of Coptic icons. May his soul rest in peace.”

Many bishops also mourned Nassief on social media, among them Anba Arseny, Coptic Bishop of The Netherlands, who wrote on his Diocese’s website: “For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come,” (Hebrews 14:13). The Coptic Orthodox Diocese of The Netherlands mourns the dear artist. We remember his work with us over more than 30 years as we built 11 churches in the Netherlands, which boast his icons and outstanding mosaic murals.”

The funeral service for Nassief was held the following day at the Church of Holy Virgin in the village of Abu-Hanna in Damanhour, Beheira, some 130km northwest Cairo, the birthplace of the late artist.

Nassief leaves behind two daughters, Sara and Sandra, both students in Alexandria University; Sara studies dentistry, and Sandra Fine Arts. He also has three brothers: Fr Rweiss is a monk at al-Baramous Monastery in the Western Desert; Reda, a previous MP, and Rushdy, Mayor of Abu-Hanna.






Lotus cheers in welcome

As to Nassief’s artworks in Egypt, the most famous are icons, mosaics, and frescoes in St Athanasius Cathedral, Damanhour; St Mina Cathedral, Mariout, Alexandria; wall paintings at the entrance of the monastery of Archangel Mikhail in Akhmim some 500km south of Cairo; mosaics at the church of St Marina, 107km west of Alexandria; also many others.

In Zagazig, some 100km northeast Cairo, a 40sq.m. glass mosaic mural by Nassief adorns the façade of the church of the Holy Virgin and Mar-Yuhanna (St John). The huge mosaic depicts the Holy Family in Egypt, Zagazig being the capital of the province of Sharqiya and lying a short distance from Tall Basta, a spot which hosted the Holy Family for a few days on its Biblical flight into Egypt. There, Jesus caused a water spring to well up from the ground.

The Zagazig mural depicts St Joseph pulling a donkey; his face and eyes turned west towards the pyramids. St Mary rides on the donkey, holding the Child Jesus who opens His hands and blesses the land of Egypt. Behind them are the landmarks of Tel Basta and the water spring from which they once drank and which is there to this day. The lotus blossoms cheerfully welcome the visitors; the pigeons fly around as a symbol of peace, and the fishes in the River Nile are the symbol of abundance. The mosaic is rich in colour typical of the Egyptian scene. A border of vine leaf motifs frame the entire mosaic.

The most recent icons Nassief created are at the Cathedral of the Holy Virgin and St Macarius the Alexandrite in the monastery of St Macarius the Alexandrite. The cathedral was consecrated by Pope Tawadros in January 2021, who especially praised Nassief’s icons and murals.



Enduring paintings

During his lifetime, Nassief held private exhibitions and took part in collective exhibitions inside and outside Egypt. In 2012, he participated in a Cairo exhibition titled “Holy Family Flight into Egypt’” and, in 2014, in another under the theme the “Way of Salvation” also in Cairo.

In 2003, Nassief was the first Egyptian artist to organise a solo exhibition featuring Egyptian landscapes in mosaics. Even though he primarily did Coptic icons, he always depicted the vibrant landscape of Egypt as a common factor in all his icons portraying the Holy Family: the Nile, the palms, the pyramids, and suchlike. His landscapes also included scenes of the River Nile in Aswan; Siwa oasis; palms al-Arish; beaches in Marsa Matrouh and Alexandria; as well as monasteries and churches.

In executing his icons, Nassief preferred the old style of using tempera, a medium that consists of pigments mixed with a water soluble binder medium such as egg yolk. Tempera paintings, even though arduous to prove, endure the ravages of time.


Mission accomplished

In 2013, Nassief participated in the French Autumn Salon in Paris with his mosaic “Blessed be Egypt, My People”. He was honoured by the Salon, and his mosaic at the Archangel Mikhail’s was listed by the French Cultural Ministry as a notable cultural heritage worthy of a visit.

In 2016, the Nassief represented Egypt in the first international exhibition of Orthodox icon contemporary art in Athens, sponsored by the Coptic Church in Greece together with UNESCO and the Egyptian Cultural Centre. Nassief participated with a 120 x 65cm icon of the Flight of the Holy Family into Egypt. It depicts in tempera the Child Jesus, His mother Mary and St Joseph in a boat sailing on the Nile.

Nassief was chosen as a member of the International Association of Contemporary Mosaicists, in Ravenna, Italy.

Nassief was awarded multiple times with certificates of appreciation. He was granted the shield of the Creativity Centre in Alexandria in 2003. In 2012 the French Ministry of Culture listed his works of mosaics, Coptic icons and frescoes as distinctive cultural heritage worthy of visits. At the exhibition “Generation of 1980s” in 2014, he was honoured with the shield of Alexandria University for his achievements. He also was awarded in 2018 the shield of excellence and creativity from the al-Muwatna (citizenship) News website, in recognition of his distinguished role in preserving the Coptic identity inside and outside Egypt.

Despite the numerous honours, Nassief was known for his modesty and quiet. He reached out to the younger generations of Egyptians, especially those living outside Egypt, attempting to bond them to Coptic art. Since his artwork emanated from his heart and soul, it perfectly succeeded and fulfilled his life mission of glorifying the Lord.

Watani International

22 March 2021

Comments

comments

Tags: Adel Nassief Coptic iconographerAngele RedaIslam Abul-WafaNevine GadallahWagdy Habashy

Related Posts

Egypt recycles electronic waste
Environment

Egypt recycles electronic waste

April 8, 2021
Downtown Cairo: Any hope for regaining past splendour? 
features

Downtown Cairo: Any hope for regaining past splendour? 

April 2, 2021
Egypt receives 850,000 doses of COVID-19 Astra Zeneca vaccine
features

Egypt receives 850,000 doses of COVID-19 Astra Zeneca vaccine

April 1, 2021
Kamal al-Ganzouri (1933 – 2021) former PM passes away
Coptic Affairs

Kamal al-Ganzouri (1933 – 2021) former PM passes away

April 1, 2021
How Venice Gouda (1934 – 2021) helped the jobless find jobs
E Choise

How Venice Gouda (1934 – 2021) helped the jobless find jobs

March 25, 2021
Nawal Saadawi (1931 – 2021): Egypt’s fiery feminist passes away
features

Nawal Saadawi (1931 – 2021): Egypt’s fiery feminist passes away

March 23, 2021

Discussion about this post

Editorial

I took the vaccine

More

MOST READ

Killer of Coptic woman in Beni Mazar caught
Coptic Affairs

Killer of Coptic woman in Beni Mazar caught

April 6, 2021
0

A tuk tuk driver who murdered the Coptic woman Mariam Moussa, and her young son in Beni Mazar, Minya, some...

Read more
Killer of Coptic woman in Beni Mazar confesses crime

Killer of Coptic woman in Beni Mazar confesses crime

April 11, 2021
Egypt’s Pharaohs Golden Parade: Proud to be Egyptian

Egypt’s Pharaohs Golden Parade: Proud to be Egyptian

April 4, 2021
“Speak Arabic” for young Egyptians in New Jersey

“Speak Arabic” for young Egyptians in New Jersey

April 7, 2021
Egypt builds integrated complex for secured and smart documents

Egypt builds integrated complex for secured and smart documents

April 8, 2021

Features

Health Minister gives overview of COVID-19 situation in Egypt
Health

Health Minister gives overview of COVID-19 situation in Egypt

April 11, 2021
0

Health Minister Hala Zayed has given an overview of the current situation of COVID-19 in Egypt where the daily figures...

Read more
Watani started as an Egyptian weekly Sunday newspaper published in Cairo. The word Watani is Arabic for “My Homeland”. The paper was founded in 1958 by the prominent Copt Antoun Sidhom (1915 – 1995), who strove for the establishment of a civil, democratic society in Egypt, where all Egyptians would enjoy full citizenship rights regardless of their religious denomination. To this day when Watani is published as a weekly paper and an online news site, the objective remains the same. Those in charge of Watani view this role as a patriotic all-Egyptian vocation. Special attention is given to shedding light on Coptic culture and tradition as authentically Egyptian, this being a topic largely disregarded or little-understood by Egypt’s media. Watani is deeply dedicated to offer its readers high quality, extensive, objective, credible and well-researched media coverage, with special focus on Coptic issues, culture, heritage, and contribution to Egyptian society.
-----------------------------------------------------------

27 Abdel Khalek Tharwat st, Downtown, Abdeen,Cairo

00202-23927201

00202-23935946

 [email protected]

      

categories

  • News
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Culture
  • Egypt – Arab Spring
  • Coptic Affairs
  • Features
  • Watani Special Features

Recent Posts

  • Non-sectarian fight in Tema, Sohag leaves one Copt dead, six injured
  • Cabinet approves legality of 19th batch of churches
  • Maria Younan, lighting architect of Pharaohs Golden Parade Tahrir Square, honoured
  • Health Minister gives overview of COVID-19 situation in Egypt
  • Killer of Coptic woman in Beni Mazar confesses crime
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Culture
  • Egypt – Arab Spring
  • Coptic Affairs
  • Features
  • Watani Special Features

Powered BY 3A Digital.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Accidents
    • Crime
    • Diplomatic briefcase
    • NewsLine
    • Outside Cairo
    • Special Occasions
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • International media
    • Reader`s Corner
    • Opinion
  • Politics
    • Elections
    • International Politics
    • Islamisation Politics
    • National Affairs
    • Parliament
    • Politics
    • Protests
    • Rights
    • Terrorism
  • Culture
    • Antiquity
    • Art
    • Books
    • Culture
    • Drama
    • Egyptology
    • Festivals
    • Films
    • Heritage
    • Islamisation Culture
    • Media
    • Museums
    • Music
    • TV
  • Coptic
    • Church Affairs
    • Coptic Affairs
    • Coptic Culture
    • Copts in the Media
    • Coptology
    • Copts Abroad
    • Religious
      • P. Shenouda: Bible Study
    • Sectarian
    • Inter-religious
    • Holy Family
  • Features
    • Counselling Corner
    • features
    • Economy
      • Business
    • Education
    • Social Issues
      • Behaviour
      • Mothers Day
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Humour
    • In memorial
    • Interviews
    • Nile
    • Profile
    • Special needs
    • Sports
    • Technology
    • Tourism
    • Wars
    • Women
    • Youth
  • Watani Special Features
    • Egypt – Arab Spring
      • 25 January Revolution
      • 25 Jan revolution, one year on
      • Egypt post-30 June
    • Watani Milestones
      • 20 years Watani International
      • 10 years Watani International
      • Watani Jubilee
    • Pope Shenouda
    • Pope Tawadros
    • Watani Forum

Powered BY 3A Digital.

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In