Hamed Abdalla (Cairo, Egypt 1917- Paris, France 1985) was a self-taught artist who played a prominent role in shaping Egyptian and Arab modernism, as well as the history of postcolonial art. His groundbreaking exploration of Arabic calligraphy, alongside his visual and poetic creations, encapsulate more than four decades of political and philosophical discourse, not only within the Arab world but also on a global scale. Abdalla forged a modernity that was rooted in exile, spanning the cities where he lived and worked, including Cairo, Copenhagen, and Paris. His work was influenced by various movements such as CoBrA, leftist ideologies, and Islamic arts, among others.
Hamed's art was showcased in Egyptian galleries during the 1940s. He marked the beginning of his international journey in the 1950s with exhibitions in cities like Paris, London, and Amsterdam. He relocated to Copenhagen in 1956 and eventually settled in Paris a decade later. Despite his European residence, Hamed maintained a fervent interest in political movements and the ideologies of pan-Arabism and anti-imperialism.