"I was steeped in Egyptian Pharaonic art, right from childhood. I lived with that art, I lived in that art, or rather it dwelled in me as soon as I began to sense and perceive the elements and beings of the world around me. Pharaonic sculpture appears as a block, which, although apparently stable and motionless, is animated by an inner movement, making the dense and intimidating mass into a block that is once compact and mobile. It is on the basis of this principle that the Pharaohs were able to combine heaviness with grace; their sculpted blocks seemed, in spite of their weight and their mass, to float on water." - Adam Henein

Bonhams are delighted to present this magnificent sculptures= by one of the most prominent Arab sculptors of our time. Abstract forms, pure volumes and dynamic movement characterise his mature works. "Owl" is elegantly striking by its expressive and asymmetrical rendition and the simplicity of its planes. This artwork embodies a sense of simple monumentality and timelessness that is characterised by an allusive simplification of form that is both modern and archaic. The sculpture is elegant, coherent and a characteristic style of its own that is undeniably inspired by both ancient Egyptian Pharaonic art and European Modernism while reflecting the sophistication of the artist.

During the 1960s, Adam Henein produced a number of sculptures of animals. Most likely inspired by funerary, ritualistic and relief sculpture from the ancient Egyptian period, when animals were revered. Henein chose to depict cats, dogs, horses and other creatures, including this solid and distinguished imagining of an owl. Much like in ancient Egypt, Henein expresses physical characteristics with minimal lines, showing essential features with simple hints of wings, eyes and a beak. Despite the portly and sturdy, rounded sculpture adding a sense of weight to the owl, the smooth surfaces and clean lines create an air of elegance, the simplicity and refinement of which shows Henein's mastery of his chosen materials.