Visual artist Amal Kenawy was born in Cairo (1974). She studied film and fashion design at the Academy of Fine Arts at the Cinema Institute in Cairo (1997-1999) and received a BA in painting from the Faculty of Fine Arts at Helwan University in Egypt (1999). Kenawy was awarded the UNESCO Grand Prize at the International Cairo Biennale (1998), a grant from Pro-Helvetia Swiss Arts Council for an artist residency in Araau, Switzerland (2004), the Global Crossings Prize in Los Angeles (2005), the Best Animated Film Prize at the 12th Cairo International Film Festival (2006), and a prize at the Dak'Art Biennale of Contemporary African Art for a residency in Amsterdam (2006).

Amal Kenawy has had numerous solo exhibitions, including "Transformation," part of the grant she received from Pro-Helvetia for an artist residency (2004), "The Journey" held at the Town House Gallery for Contemporary Art in Cairo (2004), "Booby Trapped Heaven" at the Mashrabia Gallery in Cairo (2006), and "Space" at the Karim Francis Contemporary Art Gallery in Cairo (2006).

Kenawy has participated in various international biennales, some of which include the Dak'Art Biennale of Contemporary African Art (2004 and 2006) and the 1st Singapore Biennale (2006). This year, she will partake in the Moscow Biennale and the Sharjah Biennale in the United Arab Emirates.

Amal Kenawy has taken part in several group exhibitions, including "Africa Remix - Contemporary Art of a Continent" (2004-2007), "Home Works: Forum on Cultural Practices" (2004 and 2005), and "Some Stories" (2005). She has also participated in a number of international theatre festivals, which include La Rose des Vent in Lillie, France (2004) and the Kunsten Festival des Arts in Brussels, Belgium (2004) as well as a variety of international film festivals like FIPA in Biarritz, France (2007).

The multi award-winning Kenawy sadly passed away on Sunday 18 August 2012, at the age of 38. She had leukemia.

Source: www.daratalfunun.org/main/activit/curentl/amal_kenawy/1.htm