WATANI International
2 January 2011
Cairo Towers
Cairo Towers is the title of a new exhibition by the artist Mohamed Abla now being held at the Zamalek Art Gallery in Cairo.
Abla has earned steady acclaim for his visually inspiring and often satirical work, which usually contains an underlying thread of social commentary.
Born in Mansoura in the Delta, Abla spent seven years in Europe after earning a degree in fine arts from Alexandria University. His extensive travelling gave him broad exposure to the international art scene and a chance to study and exhibit in European galleries. His work has focused mainly on graphics and oil paintings.
The exhibtion runs until 4 January.
Les Choses de la Vie
Last month the Safar Khan Gallery in Zamalek, Cairo, hosted an exhibition, Les Choses de la Vie (Things of Life) by artist Suad Mardam Bey.
Mardam, who was born in Damascus but now lives in Cairo, has encountered many cultures throughout her childhood, education and extensive travels. From a very early stage, painting has been her passion and natural way of self expression. One can clearly feel this passion when looking at her portraits, with their mysterious eyes and silhouettes flowing in movement or simply in repose. Each painting tells a story, revealing a memory or a thought. Mardam’s collection seems to emerge from familiar everyday scenes and faces. Her trademark is her palette; she never fails to add her distinct signature of multilayered patterns and colour combinations. Each collection is another affirmation of her web of differing ideas and cultures and of her perceptive eye, which captures emotions so vividly.
Garagos
Garagos held its annual exhibition at the College de la Sainte Famille in Cairo from 17 to 23 December under the patronage of Jean Felix Paganon, Ambassador of France to Cairo.
Garagos is a small village 25 kms north of Luxor in Upper Egypt. Most of the residents of villages in this area make a living from agriculture, but many people in Garagos provide for themselves by making pottery.
The pottery was first made in 1955 and was designed by the architect Hassan Fathi on the initiative of two French monks. The nephew of one of the monks, Robert De Mongolfier, owned a pottery atelier in France, and came to Garagos to teach the young men the new craft and to support their endeavours until they were able to function without help.
Garagos’s art pieces have characteristic brown, blue, and gray glazing with slight yellow and green tones. Many take the shapes of fish, birds and the Coptic cross, as well as a whole set designed for tea and hot drinks from Garagos.
A tribute
In tribute to the Egyptian artist Abdallah Gohar on the occasion of his 94th birthday, an exhibition of 35 oils, water-colours, drawings and graphics was held at the Maghrabi Art Gallery in Zamalek, Cairo. Gohar is looked on as one of Egypt’s top engravers, as well as the father of modern graphic art. He began his career as a painter, inspired by the Dutch masters such as Rembrandt—especially when he depicts street scenes and landscapes. Gohar has been politically active since 1951 when he studied art in Italy, and expresses his political protest in his works of art. His etchings of Palestinian mothers are particularly well known.
Faces and secrets
Robeir al-Faris
An exhibition entitled Faces and secrets was held last month at the Horus Gallery in the Faculty of Art Education in Zamalek, Cairo. On display were 20 collage works by Nashwa Sadeq, assisstant professor of painting at Ain-Shams University. The works were inspired by the Fayoum Portraits, portraits of deceased persons placed on their coffins during the four first centuries AD, a Coptic period when Egyptian art carried obvious Greco-Roman overtones. The portraits are famous for their vivid colours and wide eyes typical of Egyptian art. Dr Sadeq depends on both the hot and cold colours of the palette, and uses several materials including linen; gold foil, and thick coloured paste. She is planning two other exhibitions inspired by Coptic art and heritage.