In her most recent exhibition “Dialogue of Nature”, Iman Kamal Ebeid presented 16 creative and unique works of art which took their inspiration and form from the coconut. Each of the items shown was different in style and shape. Each piece is beautiful in its own way, forming a dialogue between the artist and the elements of nature; a dialogue of heritage and innovation. Ebeid uses one element to design a wonderful work of art, and then takes another element to create something quite different. In some models she uses the shell, and in others the white flesh, using a technical process to avert the effect of heat and dampness.
Ebeid, who earned a PhD in art education from Helwan University in 2003, is a professor of art in the Specific Education School at Cairo University. Since 1991 she has shown her work at several national and international exhibitions, and her art has been acquired abroad as well as in Egypt.
She makes use of natural materials from peach stones to shells, but also uses artificial materials such as glass, metal wire and velvet paper.
Her recent exhibits include a work of a colourful pyramidal shape with a bird on top formed from a dry leaf and standing on a base of rough peach stones. On the base is a turtle made from an inner section of a coconut.
Another work involves a plant shaped out of forged iron, on different levels. The first level represents an internal section ornamented with beads, glass stones and coloured metal wires. The other level is made of folded leather strips with dry fruits in the centre, also ornamented with metal wire and glass.