Seham Guirgis was born in Cairo. Seham knew by her final year in secondary school that she would go on to study art. She always observed the world around her, moved by its creative manifestations and the way it enabled her to reach the deepest level of sensitivity. Her parents were her greatest source of support; always encouraging her and her siblings to pursue their desired goals in life.

In 1986, she received a bachelor of arts in Art Education from Helwan University, Cairo. In the first year of graduate studies at the Institute of Higher Education for Coptic Studies she also started training with Dr. Isaac Fanous, noted as the “Father” of 20th century Coptic iconography. In 1990 upon graduating from the Institute with a master’s degree, she was appointed Assistant Professor, and worked closely with Dr. Fanous for several years.

In 2001, already an accomplished artist, Seham immigrated to Canada with her husband and two young sons. Seham’s icons and mosaic works were exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in the United Kingdom and in Egypt. Her icons are in several churches and monasteries in Egypt. She is privately collected in Egypt, Canada, and several other countries. Her icons of The Journey of the Holy Family into Egypt (2003), St. Helena, the Empress and Founder of The True Cross (2005), and St. Joseph and the Christ Child (2011) are in the collection of the Coptic Museum of Canada; she has also taught courses in Coptic iconography at the Museum.

One of her first exhibitions in Canada was in 2002 at the Archangel Michael & St. Tekla Coptic Orthodox Church (Brampton) Festival and later in various Coptic festivals at St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church, Scarborough. The Coptic Museum of Canada has also displayed her icons in public exhibitions, for example:

• In 2006: Icons Windows of Spirituality (showcasing iconographers from Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches).

• In 2011: Hidden Treasures. Coptic Artists in Southern Ontario at the University of Toronto Art Centre.

Seham’s understanding of Coptic culture and art influences how she applies the Coptic style to her mosaics and icons. One of the outstanding characteristics of Seham’s icons is the precision of her palette that expresses the search for Beauty. Seham believes that the saints and martyrs she paints are the sparks that generate her art work which she creates to uplift the hearts, minds, and souls of its viewers and to raise up their spirits toward their Creator.