Born in 1982, Maged Mekhail presents his first solo exhibition at ArtTalks proudly titled Egyptian, I am.
Maged Mekhail transports us back in time and space from Ancient Egypt to Babylon, and from Mesopotamia to further East. Rulers, traders, warriors, men of sciences and prophets crossed roads, ports and oceans seeking larger empires, flourishing trade and the spread of religion. Thousands of years later, their great grand-children are crossing the roads again – this time heading West, seeking refuge and escaping civil wars and violence. Crossing is no longer the means to enlarge one’s home, but rather the prevalent means of survival – to escape from home. In Many Rivers to Cross, painter and sculptor Maged Mekhail choses to ignore the slow decline of our present and brings to light our past by exploring the traces left behind the convergence of national, racial and ethical lines that supposedly should bond us together. He embraces the endless possibilities of remembrance and provides a multi-dimensional representation of the Egyptian world.
This Group Exhibition aims at encouraging novice collectors to go beyond appreciating art by starting to gradually build an art collection. The Exhibition offers works from Egyptian Modern Pioneer Artists, and Established and Emerging Artists. The works presented have been rigidly and carefully selected, providing quality with affordability.
Born in 1982, Mekhail graduated from Helwan Fine Arts Institute in 2004, after which he trained during 4 years under the tutelage of Egyptian pivotal artist, Adam Henein. Armed with outstanding craftsmanship and intensive training, Mekhail carved a distinctive and independent direction for himself, culminating in winning the 2011 Sculpture Award at the Ministry of Culture’s Youth Salon. Mekhail’s passion for Egypt’s glorious past is prominent in his rich body of work. He manages to blend Pharaonic, Coptic and Greek lines onto his work. His forms are usually semi-abstractions of the human figure – suggestive celebration of the sensual female body or icons of our proud Egyptian Coptic and Muslim heritage. As we struggle about our Egyptian identity, Maged Mekhail gently reminds us of what we stand for – a diverse, rich and tolerant people who have shaped the past and are able to embrace the future.