Ms. Dalia was born in 1973 in Port Said, Egypt. She received her BA in 1995 from the Faculty of Science and Education, Kamal University, Egypt. In 1998 she successfully completed her MA in Coptic Art from the Institute of Coptic Studies, Cairo. She was a student of Dr. Isaac Fanous, recognised as the Father of Neo-Coptic iconography, and later was a member of his team of iconographers. She has her own art studio.

Dalia loved to paint since her childhood. She received many awards in high school for her art work — mainly pastel painting. She uses several media, such as oil painting, ceramic, egg tempera. She also creates decorative porcelains. She says that Bishop Tadros of Port Said has been her main support and mentor. His Grace once presented one of her paintings to H.H. Pope Shenouda III who praised her highly. She has written icons in several churches in Egypt (e.g., St. George Port Said, St. George in El-Arish) and in Canada, the Ajax and Winnipeg Coptic Orthodox Churches. The ceramic tile icon (mosaic) of the Baptistery in St. Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Church, Scarborough was created by Ms Dalia in 2002. She also wrote three icons for St. Mark’s Church that are used during the Easter season:

• Palm Sunday 65 x 68cm
• Crucifixion 65 x 68cm
• The Resurrection 65 x 68cm

Ms Sobhy says that an icon is a “window into Heaven.” Before starting she reads about the story or subject and builds a relationship with the subject in such a manner that she feels her hand is guided while she is painting. She recalls that she once had a very hard time thinking through how she could paint the cloak of an icon of St. George. One night, when she went to bed feeling she could never do it, St. George appeared to her in her dream and guided her with every step she had to take in painting the cloak. The next morning she knew exactly what she had to do. The charcoal portrait she did of H.H. Pope Kyrollos VI was one of her deepest spiritual experiences.