Hazem Taha was born in Giza, Egypt in 1961 to parents who were both artists, and grew up in the Cairo suburb of Zamlek.  Over the years, Taha travelled extensively, and today lives and works in Bahrain.

Having been exposed to art early in life, Taha grew up immersed in the eastern culture of his native Cairo.  Accompanying his parents on their trips to Europe, he also took in many aspects of western culture including art.  This has resulted in his continual examination of how these two cultures have shaped who he is today.  Consequently, his work manifests his exploration of questions related to the larger issues of identity: how is identity defined and to what extent do forces such as culture and religion (inter)act to shape it?  How does identity form and how stable is it over time?

Far from confronting identity as an end result of hybridity, a seamless merging of two worlds that over time produces a pleasing yet innocuous synthesis that softens the harsher characteristics of both east and west,  Taha’s works seems to imply that identity is a far more complex concept.  It is a fluid, ongoing process.  To coin a cliché, identity is a journey rather than a destination, and thus continues to evolve and change over a person’s lifetime.

Hazem Taha’s work expresses this concept in visual form quite eloquently.  Large abstract canvases are overlaid with a geometric grid inspired by Islamic design, and photos of Cairene street life form a backdrop for German text.  East and West are both equally present but rather than blending into a third entity, they remain discrete aspects of the whole.

Hazem Taha holds bachelors and masters degrees in Graphics and Design  from Helwan University in Cairo, a diploma in Visual Communications Design from the University of Applied Sciences in Munster, Germany, and a doctorate in Design Philosophy and Communications Theories from the University of Wuppertal in Germany.

Hazem Taha’s art has been shown in Austria, Bahrain, Cuba, France, Germany, Oman, Lebanon, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States. He is the recipient of a number of grants and awards and has held various positions in publishing as well as academia.  His research papers have been published in Croatia, Egypt, Jordan.  He is currently Associate Professor of Visual Communication Design at the Royal University for Women in Bahrain.