Other artists have immensely affected the EgyptianвЂ™s career. вЂњZakaria El Zeiny was a great teacher, and Hamed Nada was a great painter,вЂќ Hafez reminisces. He started taking afternoon classes at the Faculty of Fine Arts, and it was not until a decade later that his parents discovered his blooming career.ДЄt the onset of his career, two of EgyptвЂ™s most established painters played a pivotal role in shaping his approach towards art. He wanted to be an artist, and nothing, not even scalpels and lab coats, could stop him. вЂњArt is my story of glory and punishment.вЂќДespite his parentsвЂ™ insistence to send him to medical school, Hafez did not abandon the dream that had emerged at the tender age of fifteen. At the age of five, he started to unleash his creative energy, and painted the walls at home, to his fatherвЂ™s horror. Even his earliest memory featured colors and a paintbrush. вЂњArt is my autobiography,вЂќ starts Khaled Hafez. Through creative colour infusions, intricate detail, and original use of materials, HafezвЂ™s canvases tell stories of a rich and layered cultural identity. Recently, the artist has been crafting collages that bridge cultural and temporal gaps through combining Ancient Egyptian symbols with modern magazine snapshots. Khaled Hafez has delved deep into the arts, exploring painting, installation, photography and video art. This July, Hafez exhibits his artwork at LondonвЂ™s first-ever contemporary Arab arts and culture festival, Shubbak, representing EgyptвЂ™s cultural personality for the world to study and dissect. The artist lives for his art, and uses it to record moments of glory and frustration.

вЂњEverything I do, I do for my art,вЂќ Hafez confesses.

Dissecting the layers of his cultural identity through building rich layers of paint and fabric on his canvas, Khaled Hafez strongly contributes to EgyptвЂ™s dynamic art scene.

Living art n life