Born in the neighborhood of Muharram Bey in Alexandria, Egypt, Adham Wanly is a leading figure of Egyptian modern painting. In 1929, together with his elder brother, Seif Wanly, he joined the studio of the Italian painter Ottorino Bicchi (1878–1949), who was a follower of the Italian Macchiaioli. After Bicchi introduced them to outdoor painting and capturing the light, colors, and shades of nature, the Wanly brothers established their own studio in Alexandria in 1935. During the 1950s, they traveled regularly to Europe, where they painted numerous landscapes, as well as ballet, opera, and theater performances. In 1957, they were named professors at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Alexandria. Two years later, the Ministry of Culture commissioned them to record the architectural heritage of Nubia before its flooding due to the construction of the High Dam in Aswan. Adham Wanly was also a talented caricaturist and regularly published his satirical drawings in Egyptian newspapers.