Marwa Adel


” The things they cannot do, the dreams they cannot fulfill, and the freedom they long for.” Marwa Adel

Born in 1984, Marwa Adel lives and works in Cairo. With a BA, MFA in applied arts from Helwan University, and currently preparing for her Ph.D., Adel has become a versatile, talented photographer and installation artist. She has won several awards, including Best Arab Photographer at the Emirates Photography Competition (2011) and the 2010 Youth Salon.

Her work is digitally manipulated, her work defies the traditional norms by sensually using the human body. Personal, her work is molded by her painful experiences, yet universal, showing the desire to break free from the shackles imposed on women by society and be the person she’d rather be than what society forces her to be.

She is adamant about her quest for human desire and freedom, tackling the taboo of the human figure as a form of rebellion against social restrictions. Technically, she uses digital and standard photography, calligraphy, and computer photo-manipulation software. At times, she adds texts taken from her own diary.