Dr. Gerges Algawly

Dr. Gerges El-Algawly (b. 1971, Asyut, Egypt) is a renowned Egyptian sculptor and academic. He serves as Professor of Sculpture and Head of the Sculpture Department at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Minia University, and has been a visiting professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Russian Egyptian University in Cairo. Over more than three decades, he has emerged as a leading figure in monumental and contemporary sculpture in Egypt, uniting academic excellence, artistic innovation, and a commitment to preserving cultural heritage.

El-Algawly’s vision is rooted in a dialogue between tradition and modernity. Drawing from Pharaonic, Coptic, and Islamic aesthetics while embracing a contemporary sculptural language, his work carries historical depth and speaks powerfully to modern audiences.

Selected Monumental Works & Heritage Projects

• Memorial to the Libya Martyrs (2020) — honoring the 21 Coptic Christians; received international recognition.
• Virgin Mary Statue, Dronka Monastery (2023) — 9 m bronze; the largest Marian statue in Egypt.
• St. Anthony the Great (2022) — 9 m monumental sculpture at the historic Red Sea monastery.
• Akhenaten Statue (2001) — 11 m sculpture at Minia University.
• Meret Amun Statue (2005) — restoration and completion of a 9 m granite monument in Sharqia.
• Opera Aida at the Pyramids (1997) — historical reconstructions, including replicas of Pharaonic statues and artifacts (Tutankhamun, Yuya, Tuya).

Portraits, Busts & Murals

• Portraits and busts of national and religious figures: President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Pope Tawadros II, Taha Hussein, Khedive Ismail, and others.
• Monumental murals: 40-meter relief panels at the Cairo Military Academy; 160 m² mural at the Armed Forces Club in Minia.

As a scholar, he earned a Master’s on the impact of civilizational progress on the relationship between mass and space in modern sculpture, and a PhD on Arab sculpture between identity and alienation. His solo exhibitions — Dialogues of Mass and Line (2011), Between Sculpture and Architecture (2013), and The Human Face between Form and Expression (2015) — showcase ongoing experimentation with stone, wood, and basalt, alongside extensive publications and international conference contributions.

Dr. El-Algawly has received tributes and honors from the Coptic Orthodox Church, Egyptian universities, and cultural institutions, with international media coverage in Egypt Independent, AsiaNews, The Tablet, Ahram Weekly, and Religion Unplugged. Today he stands as a central figure in Egyptian contemporary sculpture — an artist-scholar whose mastery of form, mass, and space preserves Egypt’s cultural identity while shaping the future of sculpture education.