Articles
A deep, practical list of twenty principles that illuminate Prof. Dr. Manal Helal’s approach to contemporary sculpture, digital processes, applied arts craft, and exhibition ready design.
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A detailed, practice-driven guide to curating, documenting, writing, and designing a contemporary sculpture portfolio that meets exhibition and academic standards.
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A deep, studio tested list of 11 teaching insights that help sculptors, digital artists, and designers improve observation, form, critique, process, and exhibition readiness.
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Since my early undergraduate years, I have been actively engaged in the Egyptian Fine Art Movement, participating in numerous local and international exhibitions, with my most recent solo exhibition hosted at the School of Art and Design, Cardiff Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom.
My artistic practice spans multiple disciplines, including painting, sculpture, ceramics, digital sculpture, and product design. I work with a diverse range of materials—such as aluminum, copper, clay, and PVC—pushing their expressive and structural boundaries. Beginning in classical art, my journey gradually evolved toward abstraction, offering a broader space to investigate form, space, and symbolic meaning, deeply inspired by master sculptors like Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, and Constantin Brancusi.
Driven by a strong belief in the vital role of cultural initiatives and visual arts in shaping communities, I had the honor of founding the Khnum International Sculpture and Ceramics Symposium in 2022, establishing it as a global platform for artistic dialogue and exchange.
Alongside my artistic and academic career, I have been deeply engaged in public and parliamentary work, driven by a strong conviction in the power of culture and visual arts to foster social awareness and community development. I had the privilege of serving as a Member of the Egyptian Parliament and as a Member of the International Secretariat of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (IAO). These roles greatly enriched my perspective on cross-cultural dialogue, emphasizing art as an essential bridge connecting identity and collective consciousness.
I firmly believe that art has the transformative power to reshape the soul and elevate the human experience. The artist’s true mission is to celebrate life and reveal beauty even where others might miss it. To me, art and visual culture are the foundational pillars that have enriched great civilizations throughout history—nurturing imagination, awareness, and our shared humanity.
C.V
Professional positions:
2024-2026:Member of the International Secretariat of the interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy,
2024:Design Consultant in Industrial Design Engineering
2022:Certified Trainer at National Training Academy(NTA)
2021:Member of the Egyptian Parliament.
2020:Sculpture design Professor (full-time),Head of the department of Sculpture, Architectural Design and Restoration, Faculty of Applied Arts, Helwan University.
2015:Associate Professor (full-time), Department of Sculpture, Architectural Design and Restoration, Faculty of Applied Arts, Helwan University.
Head of the Department of Sculpture and Architectural forming and Restoration - Faculty of Applied Arts - Helwan University December 2015 up to date.
2014:Certified Trainer at the Skills Development Center and faculty members at the University of Helwan
2009: lecturer(full-time) at sculpture & architectural forming & restoration department-faculty of applied arts - Helwan University.
2006:Assistant lecturer(full-time) at sculpture & architectural forming & restoration department-faculty of applied arts - Helwan University.
1998:Assistant (full-time), at sculpture & architectural forming & restoration department -faculty of applied arts - Helwan University.
Granting scientific missions:
• A scientific mission to study the history of sculpture in the Central and Renaissance times in Italy February 2 to February 8, 2015.
• An exchange of faculty members from Erasmus + to visit the College of Art and Design at Cardiff Metropolitan University, England, 28 January to 1 February 2019
Memberships:
- Member of Culture, Media and Antiquities Committee of the Egyptian House of Representatives.
- Geneva Center for Security Policy (GCSP) Alumni Member
- Member of Coordination of Youth Parties and Politicians
- Member of Applied Arts Designers Syndicate.
- Member of Syndicate of Plastic Arts.
- Member of the Executive Presidential leadership Program (EPLP) at the National training Academy
Collectibles:
* Cardiff Metropolitan University, School of Art and Design, UK.
* Sweden, USA, Germany.
* Egyptian Embassy in Tunisia.
* Headquarters of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy, Greece.
My artwork
News
The Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (IAO) hereby announces its Second International Visual Arts Competition, entitled: “The Flight of the Holy Family into Egypt: Classical and Contemporary Visual Approaches.” The competition aims to bring to light artistic interpretations of the Sacred Journey, which—whether situated within or beyond its specific historical and geographical context—approach both the spiritual dimensions and the timeless, profoundly human aspects of this event. Within the framework of the competition, works may be submitted that either directly depict the event itself or, based on the central theme, highlight the concepts of family, motherhood, and childhood, the need for the protection of children, as well as issues of hospitality, the protection of strangers, and respect for otherness. Artistic Fields of the Competition The artistic fields participating in the Competition are Painting and Graphic Arts (Printmaking( The competition is open to the international artistic community, and artists are free to create their works in the manner they deem appropriate, including both classical and contemporary visual approaches that employ imagination, symbolism, and abstraction. Objectives of the Competition The objectives of the Competition are: • the visual expression of Christian values inspired by a significant event in the life of the God-Man, • the contribution of art to the promotion of fundamental humanitarian values, • the affirmation of art’s creative capacity for diversity and renewal through contemporary, classical, abstract, or conceptual approaches.
my solo exhibition in Cardiff metropolitan
Group Exhibition
Exhibition of the Fourth International Ceramics Symposium, Hall of the Hangar in Opera-Jon 2018, Egypt.
Exhibition of The Second Sculpture Symposium, College of Fine Arts, Minia University, March 2018 , Egypt.
The First Sculpture Symposium, College of Fine Arts, Minia University, March 2017 , Egypt.
group exhibition under the title of "Hams El fenon" in Egypt public Library.2014, Egypt
group exhibition under the title of "Revolution Eyes" The anniversary of the Egyptian revolution January 25, Egypt
