Merging geometry and simple shapes with Futurist and Cubist influences, the paintings of Seif Wanly employ a distinct style of vibrant colours, form and composition. Together, with his brother Adham Wanly, they introduced modern pictorial trends in Alexandria in the 1940s and were among the first to depict international subjects, breaking away from the folklorist style of their contemporaries. Seif’s early works are inspired by the use of the light and gentle strokes while his later compositions exercised greater freedom with larger surfaces of bold colors. Fascinated by the performance arts, he depicted scenes representing the life of performers by expressing their vivid and dynamic movements. He was likewise inspired by traditional Nubian villages and painted them before they were flooded, as well as many landscapes of Egypt and other countries he visited.