Art is a reflection of my life — its beauty, its wounds, its memory.

Mona A. El-Bayoumi at Michigan State University

About Mona

Born in Alexandria, Egypt and raised in East Lansing, Michigan, Mona A. El-Bayoumi has painted for more than four decades, exhibiting from Washington, D.C. to Cairo, Paris and South Africa.

Her work moves between Ancient Egyptian memory, the everyday wonder of raising five children, and art as an act of resistance.

Read her story

Mona’s Art Collection

View exclusive works and experience their inspiration through audio stories.View exclusive works and experience their inspiration through audio stories.

Landscape
Sunset Mosque
Sunset Mosque was born from a memory of Cairo in the 1980s, when my father was on sabbatical and I was a young student at AUC studying Arabic and Egyptian history. I used watercolor and pen to try to capture not just the scene but the feeling of that time: the adhan echoing through the streets, the scent of the city, the joy of being there.
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Still Life
Secondi’s Orange Apples
Secondi’s Orange Apples plays with the familiar. The apples are not red, they are orange, and orange is also a fruit. The shapes bend and blend and are not quite what you expect. That flexibility is the piece.
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Portrait
Rose Marie
Rose Marie is a portrait of a friend. The red expresses her intensity, and the smile shows her warmth. Together they capture who she is.
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Political
Yaffa Oranges are Part of Me
Yaffa Oranges are Part of Me is about the deep connection between Palestinian people and the Yaffa orange, a symbol of the land and its history. This girl’s braids wrap around the oranges to show that they are inseparable from who she is.
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Abstract
Lifting the Sun Vertically
Lifting the Sun Vertically shows people who have died in war, now underground, lifting the sun upward with their feet. It is a metaphor about being beneath the weight of grief and loss and still trying to push the light up. Even from below, the effort continues.
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Black and White
Small Smile
Small Smile shows someone giving just enough of a smile to hint at what is underneath. There is apprehension there, and uncertainty. We do not know exactly what this person is thinking, and that is the point.
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more meanings in artist's

World

May 10 – May 30, 2014
Exhibits
Threads of Memory
A collection that weaves together past and present, reflecting on stories that remain unforgotten through time.
September 15 – October 20, 2016
Exhibits
Voices in Color
An exploration of vibrant expressions where every shade becomes a voice of culture in the dialogue.
June 1 – June 25, 2019
Exhibits
Echoes of Heritage
Artwork that resonates with tradition, carrying the echo of ancestry into modern creative works.
October 10 – November 5, 2021
Exhibits
Colors of Belonging
A study where identity and connection are expressed, and every hue embodies a sense of belonging.
April 12 – May 8, 2023
Exhibits
Journey Through Light
A visual path illuminated by creative discovery, guiding viewers toward moments of light and inspiration.