Born in Alexandria in 1977, Klay Mohamed Abdel Aziz Kassem graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts in Alexandria in 2000, and holds an MA (2008) and a PHD (2013) in art studies. He is a member of the Fine Arts Syndicate in Alexandria and currently lectures at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Alexandria. His paintings have been featured in over 48 national exhibitions in Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor and Port Said, and he has participated in over six international exhibitions in Muscat, India, Paris, Alexandria, Luxor and Sharm El Sheikh. Kassem has held several solo exhibitions in Cairo and Alexandria, including shows at the Mahmoud Said Museum, the Gezira Arts Centre and El Tazauk Palace. He is the recipient of eight national art awards, including First prize at Nagy Salon in 1999 and the Grand Prize in painting at the Port Said Biennale in 2011, and his paintings are part of permanent collections at the Museum of Fine Arts in Helwan, the Contemporary Arts Museum in Luxor, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture in Cairo