(Egyptian, b. 1943) was born in Alexandria and graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts in 1967 with a major in sculpture. At the beginning of his career as a visual artist, Dawestashy would create abstract formations using his experience in photography and collage work. He proceeded to develop his painting skills and changed his name from Esmat Abdel Halim to Esmat Dawestashy, a name inspired by the Dada art movement.