Abstract Figures in Monochrome

Tareq Kumi, also known as Tarek El-Koumy, is a prominent Egyptian sculptor born in 1963. He graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts, Helwan University, in 1985 and has since dedicated his career to the art of sculpture. El-Koumy has held significant positions, including serving as the director of the Mahmoud Mokhtar Museum and, as of September 2024, being elected as the head of the Egyptian Syndicate of Fine Artists.

El-Koumy's artistic oeuvre is distinguished by monumental sculptures that pay homage to Egyptian cultural icons. Notable works include statues of the legendary singer Umm Kulthum, displayed at the Cairo Opera House and in Mansoura, and a statue of composer Mohamed Abdel Wahab at the Cairo Opera House. His public art contributions also feature the "War and Peace" monument in Shebin El-Kom and models of Nubian and African rural houses at the Children's Museum.

Throughout his career, El-Koumy has received numerous accolades. In 1990, he was awarded the gold medal and first prize in sculpture at the Muscat International Biennale in Oman. He also secured the top sculpture prize at the Muscat International Biennale in 1990 and was honored at the "From the Nile to the Two Holy Mosques" exhibition at Atelier Jeddah in Saudi Arabia in February 2015. In 2012, he received the State Incentive Award in Arts, and in 2022, he won the grand prize in the "Art with a Pharaonic Flavor" competition for his work "Horizons of the Future."