Egyptian painter Riham El Adl wins art award in Italy

Two of her artworks will be exhibited in Florence for a year as part of the prize

Egyptian painter Riham El Adl has won an award at Italy’s Il Biennale Internazionale D’Arte Contemporanea Della Versilia, a prestigious arts competition in Florence.

Egyptian painter Riham El Adl has won the Biennale Internazionale D’Arte Contemporanea Della Versilia award in Florence, Italy.

The artist’s paintings, titled Sun Shining Day and Promised Land, will be exhibited for a year at an art gallery in Florence under the management of Art Expertise, the organisation behind the award. This marks the first time that the artist will officially exhibit her work internationally.

The artist has also been invited to participate in two exhibitions in Austria and Italy this year.

“When we focus on what we really are passionate about and give it our all, the result is always promising and fulfilling,” El Adl wrote on Instagram.

She also said the award comes two years after leaving a job in PR to pursue her interest in painting.

“I overcame my fear of leaving a long career in PR to do something that I have passion for and that makes me happy. I worked very hard at nourishing this passion and it paid off with this great opportunity to show my work internationally." she wrote on Instagram.

"If I could do it, anyone can. So if you’re thinking of a career shift because you’re not happy in your day to day life, leave it and the universe will guide you in the right direction."

“I’m over the moon and feel so energised to go make more paintings and to challenge myself more and more,” she said in another post.

El Adl’s abstract paintings typically feature vibrant swirls of colour, at times with silhouetted figures depicted across colourful backdrops.

In March, she was included in Art D’Egypte’s Mu’anath (The Feminine) - Force in the Divinity group exhibition in Cairo, which featured six of her paintings.