Ending 7th Jun, 2026 16:00
Olympia Timed: Modern and Contemporary African and Middle Eastern Art 2026
349
‡ KHALDA HAMOUDA (EGYPTIAN B.1953)
I AM HAPPY
signed and dated Khalda Hamouda / 2005 lower right
oil on canvas stretched on board
60 x 81cm; 23 1/2 x 31 3/4in
70.2 x 91.2cm; 27 1/2 x 36in (framed)
Provenance
Acquired directly from the artist
Literature
Khalda Hamouda, The Story of a Self-Thought Artist: Modern & Contemporary Art, 2026
"Art unites people around the globe, and art shows that we all human beings on earth feel the same kind of happiness and suffer the same type of pain." - Khalda Hamouda
Daughter to artists Ezzeldin Hamouda and Zeinab Abdel Hamid, Khalda Hamouda was born in Cairo and her artistic journey commenced soon after, at the age of six, where she experimented with drawing with pastels on paper. Despite this early interest in creativity, when it came to choosing a career Khalda's parents steered her away from an education in Fine Arts and instead suggested an education as either a doctor or an engineer. In 1977, Khalda graduated from Cairo University with a degree in High Power Electrical Engineering. Later that year, she accompanied her parents on their touring exhibition and during their time in Washington D.C. she painted her first oil-on-canvas landscape. However, her career as an artist started in 2006. Until this point she upheld a successful career as an engineer at The Arab Contractors Company in Cairo, but an early retirement led her to making the decision to follow in her parents footsteps, and dedicate the rest of her life to making art. Participating in a few group exhibitions in Cairo and Alexandria, Khalda had her first solo exhibition at El Dai Art Gallery in Cairo in March 2021. She focuses on making oil and mixed media paintings on canvas and board and believes in the power of art.
In 2004, the artist encountered this scene in the Al Gezira area of Zamalek, Cairo, at a horse-cart parking sire near the River Nile, beside Kasr El Nil Bridge.
What captivated the artist was the horse's intense focus as it ate from the feed hanging at its neck. The animal appeared entirely absorbed in its food, conveying an unexpected sense of contentment and calm amid the surrounding urban environment. Tourists love to make short tours in these horse carts in the streets of Zamalik around the area
Hamouda photographed the scene and later translated this moment into an oil painting, which was completed and signed in 2005.
Sold
I AM HAPPY
signed and dated Khalda Hamouda / 2005 lower right
oil on canvas stretched on board
60 x 81cm; 23 1/2 x 31 3/4in
70.2 x 91.2cm; 27 1/2 x 36in (framed)
Provenance
Acquired directly from the artist
Literature
Khalda Hamouda, The Story of a Self-Thought Artist: Modern & Contemporary Art, 2026
"Art unites people around the globe, and art shows that we all human beings on earth feel the same kind of happiness and suffer the same type of pain." - Khalda Hamouda
Daughter to artists Ezzeldin Hamouda and Zeinab Abdel Hamid, Khalda Hamouda was born in Cairo and her artistic journey commenced soon after, at the age of six, where she experimented with drawing with pastels on paper. Despite this early interest in creativity, when it came to choosing a career Khalda's parents steered her away from an education in Fine Arts and instead suggested an education as either a doctor or an engineer. In 1977, Khalda graduated from Cairo University with a degree in High Power Electrical Engineering. Later that year, she accompanied her parents on their touring exhibition and during their time in Washington D.C. she painted her first oil-on-canvas landscape. However, her career as an artist started in 2006. Until this point she upheld a successful career as an engineer at The Arab Contractors Company in Cairo, but an early retirement led her to making the decision to follow in her parents footsteps, and dedicate the rest of her life to making art. Participating in a few group exhibitions in Cairo and Alexandria, Khalda had her first solo exhibition at El Dai Art Gallery in Cairo in March 2021. She focuses on making oil and mixed media paintings on canvas and board and believes in the power of art.
In 2004, the artist encountered this scene in the Al Gezira area of Zamalek, Cairo, at a horse-cart parking sire near the River Nile, beside Kasr El Nil Bridge.
What captivated the artist was the horse's intense focus as it ate from the feed hanging at its neck. The animal appeared entirely absorbed in its food, conveying an unexpected sense of contentment and calm amid the surrounding urban environment. Tourists love to make short tours in these horse carts in the streets of Zamalik around the area
Hamouda photographed the scene and later translated this moment into an oil painting, which was completed and signed in 2005.
Auction: Olympia Timed: Modern and Contemporary African and Middle Eastern Art 2026, ending 7th Jun, 2026
If you want to start collecting striking modern and contemporary art in a newly developing market, our sales are for you. Each spring and autumn, the Modern and Contemporary African and Middle Eastern Department hold tightly curated, live and online auctions. Expect to find Arab artists such as Rabab Nemr, Ahmed Farid, Seif Wanly and Fateh Moudarres. African artists featured have ranged from modern masters such as Ablade Glover, Sam Ntiro and Jacob Hendrik Pierneef, to contemporary artists George Lilanga, Jilali Gharbaoui, Famakan Magassa, Christano Mangovo, Oluwole Omofemi, Esther Mahlangu and Brett Seiler.
