Samir Rafi (1926 – 2004) was an Egyptian modernist painter[1] who combined modern style with lines inspired from Ancient Egypt. His pieces primarily represented modern Egypt and the surrounding region.[2] He was inspired by cubism and surrealism, creating artworks both figurative and abstract.
Samir Rafi participated to his first exhibition age 17, while he was a student of watercolour painter Shafiq Rizq.[3] In 1944 and 1945 he takes part to the exhibitions organised by the group Art et Liberté.[3] Samir Rafi studied at the College of Fine Arts in Cairo, where he obtained a diploma with specialisation in decorative arts in 1948. That year he joins the Contemporary Art Group movement. He then pursued a doctorate at the Sorbonne University in Paris, where he was one of André Lhote's students.[2][4]
Rafi taught at the College of Fine Arts in Cairo and mounted exhibitions in Egypt.[2][4] He later taught arts and history in Algiers.[2]
One of his paintings reached the price of 87,500 GBP at a Christie's sale in 2019.[5]