Egyptian visual artist Helmy El-Touni, described as one of the “guardians of Egyptian identity,” passed away at the age of 90. He was one of the most prominent book cover designers in the Arab world and internationally.
Al-Tuni was born in Beni Suef Governorate in 1934, and obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Theater Decoration from the Faculty of Fine Arts.
He also studied decorative arts, according to Reuters.
Helmy El Touni worked at Dar El Hilal as a magazine supervisor. His drawings appeared in Samir and Mickey magazines for children.
He also contributed to the production of the magazine “Theatre and Cinema”.
International exhibitions and awards honor Helmy El-Touni
The late artist Helmy El-Tony cooperated with major publishing houses in designing book covers and artistically directing them, especially the works of the Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz.
He was the artistic editor-in-chief of the monthly magazine “Viewpoints”, and held dozens of solo exhibitions in most Arab countries, and participated in group exhibitions in the Arab world and internationally.
In addition, El-Tony received the Bologna Children’s Book Fair Award in 2002, and the United Nations Children’s Fund Award for his poster for the International Year of the Child in 1979.
Many museums and institutions own his paintings.
