EDHAM WANLY: (1908-1956).Ibrahim Edham Wanly was born in Alexandria on the 25th, of February 1908. Two years after the birth of his brother Seif. Both brothers remained close to each other until the death of Edham in 20 December 1959. He was born in the palace of Erfan pasha in Moharam beq.

His father was Ismail beq Mohamed Wanly and his grandfather Mohamed Wanly pasha. His mother’s family was descendants from the Royal family of Dagestan. The famous actor and star of the theater Soliman Nagiub was his uncle. In Cairo there was the faculty of Plastic Arts that was originally found by Prince Youssef Kamel but Alexandria lacked this kind of education and depended on the private studios of the foreign artist who lived there at that time.

The brothers Wanly first received their plastic art lessons in the studio of Zanieri, and then later they joined the studio of Antonio Becci. In 1934 Becci left Alexandria and in the celebration of his leaving and closing his studio he announced to the brothers Wanly that now they should begin there life as true artists. Due to the fact that’s they were penniless they were unable to have their own studio until they met Mohamed Bayoumy the pioneer of the Egyptian cinema who was very enthusiastic to provide them with a convenient studio.

In June 1935 the studio was opened but still they faced lots of problems. Whenever they convinced a model to sit for them she would leave after few days to join the studio of other artist who were far richer. Hence the brothers Wanly left their work inside doors and went out in the streets of Alexandria where they painted with love all what they saw from buildings to cafes to means of transportation. They were attracted by daily life and lingered by the sea to watch its movement and admired the fishing boats and the fishermen. The beauty of the girls of Bahary attracted their attention as well their way of dressing the melaya and they were indulged in painting the movement of buying and selling in Attarin so they were able at the end to document on their canvas the energy and the movement of daily life. The success of the Wanly began to be impressive when the foreign consulates in Alexandria acknowledged their genius in art and began making exhibitions for them in 1945 and in 1949.

In 1950 they held their first exhibition in Cairo which was a Panorama of this work including daily life in Alexandria by day and by night. They also painted images from the vivid night scenes, the circus, the ballet dancers and the Opera. Those paintings were so impressive that the correspondent of "Le Monde" said in one of his articles that those painters are the descendants of Degas.

In 1st December 1959 which was the day of the inauguration of the third Biennale of Alexandria the Minister of Culture visited Edham Wanly in the hospital where he was lying in agony and a decree was issued that he would leave to the unified stated to be hospitalized and the doctors had great hope in his recovery but Edham’s case was deteriorating and he died in 20 December 1959.