Egyptian artist Mohamed Sharkawy will have his first solo exhibition in the region at ArtTalks gallery as part of our mission to act as a search engine for Egypt’s most promising talents.
Born in Qena, Upper Egypt in 1982, Sharkawy was raised in Upper Egypt and then moved to Cairo and finally he currently lives and works in Bahrain.
His career started as he was assisting Huda Lutfi, one of Egypt’s most respected contemporary artists, in a workshop at the Townhouse Gallery.
His exposure to a variety of artists’ styles and approaches led him eventually to develop his own visual vocabulary, working independently first from home and later, in a studio space he acquired on the Townhouse’s third floor. In 2010, he moved to Bahrain.
Using minimalist form, flat colours and clearly defined shapes, Sharkawy has a unique ability to render images that have a universal appeal. Each form and figure are so purposely deduced to the essentials that his work is reminiscent of wall paintings of Ancient Egyptians. His two-dimensional drawings have become his trademark.
Removing all unnecessary details and using solid blocks of bright primary and secondary colors, Mohamed Sharkawy’s unadorned and flawless work is a vision of childlike simplicity and an astute ability to communicate the fundamentals of life.