Former culture minister Farouk Hosni shows paintings in Riyadh

At the Naila Art Gallery in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, art-lovers and Egypt watchers both will find an exhibition to interest them.

A new exhibition showcases 19 paintings by Farouk Hosni, a renowned abstract painter who was also Egyptian culture minister for more than two decades during the rule of president Hosni Mubarak. He was removed from his post in 2011 after the revolution ousted Mubarak.

The abstract paintings feature brightly coloured scenes which seem to reflect an array of emotions. All include some black, even if only as a fine line.

The exhibition is the second of Hosni’s work since the 2011 revolution, the first being in November in the UAE. The exhibition will run until March, and will then move on to London.

Hosni is well known for his unique abstract style and his works have been exhibited around the world at venues such as the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, the National Museum of Vienna, le Vittoriano Museum in Rome, Carrousel du Louvre in Paris and Tokyo Art Museum.