Egypt’s southernmost city, Aswan, some 700km south of Cairo, is hosting the International Nubia Sculpture and Painting Symposium from 14 to 24 February.
Aswan was chosen for this year’s symposium since it was announced by the President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi as the 2019 Capital of African Youth, with the aim of bringing together young people from all over Africa to mingle with each other in events where they could share and exchange their cultures, hopes and aspirations for their present and future.
This year has seen Egypt assume the 2019 presidency of the African Union.
The symposium features 18 artists and sculptors from ten Arab and foreign countries.
According to Muhammad Hemeida, the symposium’s coordinator and founder of Ostraka Arts which organised the event, says that this symposium round features several activities including a workshop of sculpting on granite; drawing on the Nile bank of one of the Nubian islands; and a workshop on painting on the walls of Nubian houses. “A Nile-cruise tour is organised for the participant artists from Luxor to Aswan,” he added, “so that all the guests would witness the world of the great ancient Egyptian civilisation.”
Among the participant sculptors are Klaus F. Hunsker from Germany; Housam Hussien, Wael al-Shafei, Hossam al-Sayed, Mahmoud Salem, and Mahmoud Mukhtar from Egypt; Jorg Van Daele from Belgium; and Zahed Tajeddin from Italy.
Watani International
18 February 2019