Seif Wanly, alongside his brother Edham Wanly, was part of the burgeoning art scene in Alexandria from the 1940s through to the late 1960s. One of the foremost Egyptian artists of his time, Seif Wanly was the first to open a practicing studio in 1932.

Whilst Edham was preoccupied with daily life and the nature which surrounded him, often painting sea views which were a focal point for Alexandrians, Seif Wanly was arguably more inspired by the human form. The two brothers studied under the tutelage of Alexandrian based Italian artist Ottorino Bechi. Unlike Edham, whose artwork lay solely in depicting landscapes, Seif studied and explored an extensive variety of themes throughout his ar...