Childhood stories often include illustrations of children playing. Used properly, such glimpses of familiar scenarios can help cultivate a taste in fine art among children.
Many Egyptian artists, prominent among whom is Hilmy al-Touni and Farouq Wagdy, are keen on presenting art for children. They use their work to reveal a world of love and innocence, a blend of reality and fantasy.
Most of the work of Touni depict the brisk figures of girls playing, showing the elegance of their movement in vividly hot colours. Touni is skilled in portraying the features of the body finely, depending on the symbol to convey his own view.
Children’s folklore
As for Farouk Wagdy, most of his perfectly composed paintings are inspired by children’s folklore and games, which emphasise the cultural content of childhood themes. Wagdy’s creations are characterised by a special invitation to innocence, love and friendship between children and with one’s self, revealing—to onlookers—the aspects of beauty in a new form.
With his expressive and symbolic style, Wagdy also tackles the meaning of love and the impetuous nature of children, incarnating his thoughts about human life in a clean environment.
Several of Wagdy’s paintings depict children’s plays, such as Aragoze (a popular puppet used in folkloric shows), al-Oula (Hopscotch), colourful kites, Sandouq al-Donia (The World Box), and the play Camels of Salt, a play seldom performed today. All these works teach children how to acquire a taste for colour and to appreciate art.