Hassan Heshmat

Egyptian sculptor

Hassan Heshmat (January 20, 1920 – July 2006) was a celebrated Egyptian sculptor, and is considered a pioneer of modern Egyptian art. Born January 20, 1920, in Menoufia, Egypt, Heshmat earned his diploma in Applied Arts, specialising in ceramics (1938), followed by a diploma from the Higher Institute of Technical Education for Teachers (1954). In 1957, he was granted a scholarship to study Porcelain Design in Selb, Bavaria, graduating in 1958. Hassan Heshmat is considered the first Egyptian artist to create works in porcelain, his sculptures reflect traditional, patriotic and emotional themes. His work has been exhibited widely, and is held in a number of collections and institutions all around the world. Heshmat has been awarded prestigious local and international prizes, winning silver and gold medals at the International Ceramics Competition in Italy in 1964 and 1965 as well as winning first prize in a competition to build a memorial monument for a church in Belgium in 1970. Hassan and Madiha Heshmat founded the Bassam Hospital next to their house in memory of their son.

Heshmat earned his diploma in Applied Arts, specialising in ceramics (1938), followed by a diploma from the Higher Institute of Technical Education for Teachers (1954). In 1957, he was granted a scholarship to study Porcelain Design in Selb, Bavaria, graduating in 1958. Heshmat continued to visit the Egyptian Museum, and described having 'lived' there, performing a 'pilgrimage' where he would discover new artefacts at each visit, exploring what he called the 'treasures of the Egyptian civilisation' and the arts of his ancestors. According to an article in the Daily Telegraph, the damaged works included a Motherhood sculpture, 'featuring three delicately carved heads, all of which had been snapped off'. The museum's collection includes over 200 of the pioneering artist's sculptures and ceramics. The museum features a sculpture garden populated with large scale editions of some of Heshmat's most notable works.