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What do an apple, a loaf of bread and a bullet have in common? Mohamed Riad Saied is one of Egypt’s most distinguished artists and certainly, Egypt’s surrealist painter by excellence during the second half of the twentieth century. Highly imaginative and classically inspired, Mohamed Saied Riad (1937 – 2008) is best known for striking and bizarre […]
Zaraeeb, comprised of 16 individual artworks and largely made up of zoomed-in fragments of his intricate style, is a continuation of eL Seed’s internationally renowned monumental public art installation, Perception, produced in the Cairo suburb of Manshiyat Nasr spanning 50 city buildings.
The Sweetest Haven is a one-of-a-kind collaborative exhibition bringing together Adam Henein, the Arab world’s most influential living sculptor and Bahaa Amer, a mid-career surrealist painter.
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 […]
As he carries the weight of the Unknown, Boraey madly wanders. And far away from home, he navigated. He has a story to tell. Once upon a time, he got lost and got back.
In Renée, Guirguis honours his muse and lifetime companion. And when Guirguis is with Renée, nothing else matters. It is not far fetched to draw the analogy that Guirguis Lotfy is to Egyptian visual arts what Salah Jahin (1930-1986) is to Egyptian poetry. Both celebrate Egypt’s cultural fabric while not shying away from its shortcomings. Tirelessly, Lotfy depicts our feasts, celebrations, rituals and traditions – some still practiced today, others long forgotten. Pharaonic, Islamic or Coptic, his stunning canvases offer a personal take on these little moments of bonding and shared history or on some trivial and mundane scenes with ordinary people. Describing his artistic process as literally looking out his window and painting what he sees, Lotfy shows an indefatigable commitment to his muse and attempts to bring forth both her beauty and contradictions. As he captures the essence of our Egyptian-ness, he reminds us that neither religion nor ideology can tear us apart. Don’t let
yourself be fooled by the apparent simplicity and naivety of his crowded paintings! Guirguis Lotfy seeks to resuscitate an elaborate ancient Egyptian painting technique practiced two millennia ago in religious iconography and the famed Fayoum Portraits. By using bee wax or tempera colors dissolved in egg yolk with some gold leaf, Lotfy ensures the transmission of Coptic art – an identity, rather than a religion.
As we reflect on the fifth anniversary of a defining moment in our history, Cairo-based surrealist painter Yasser Rostom (1971) sheds light on different aspects of the current geopolitical events. Featuring a new body of work in Doves and Crows, Rostom mixes literalism with symbolism to create layers of meanings and accentuate the ills afflicting […]
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. The many different chapters across a span of thousands of years appear as fragments absorbed into Mikhail’s works, calling on a transcendent power to provide some meaning to guide our fragile present.
Time goes by. And the years go past. And somehow and for some unknown reasons, we remain in love, infatuated by its sand, smitten by its sun, struck by its Nile, burdened by its glorious past, and bonded to its people.
Sayed Saad el Din helps us understand, put some reasoning into this piercing feeling of attachment, of belonging to a land where kindness still exists hidden underneath the sand, where warmth wraps the mind and soul past a blazing sun, where harmony is concealed behind turmoil, and where hope prevails, though tomorrow is capricious.
Man is born free, yet everywhere he is in chains wrote Jean–Jacques Rousseau in the first pages of his famous Social Contract published in 1762. These ‘chains’ are the modes of conduct prescribed as binding by a controlling authority. Government (human laws), religion (divine laws) and society (customs) form the ‘authorities’. Any act contrary would […]
Man is born free, yet everywhere he is in chains wrote Jean–Jacques Rousseau in the first pages of his famous Social Contract published in 1762. These ‘chains’ are the modes of conduct prescribed as binding by a controlling authority. Government (human laws), religion (divine laws) and society (customs) form the ‘authorities’. Any act contrary would […]
In his sculptural installations and wall objects, Vienna-based Egyptian visual artist Hazem El Mestikawy seeks to create minimalist work in reduced forms yet rich in layers of meaning. His unique act of juxtaposing, overlapping and locking or glueing different modules made of cardboard and paper, creates technically elaborate and thematically engaging works. With flawless precision […]
“It is impossible,” muttered Alice. “Only if you believe it is” replied the Mad Hatter. A dialogue between Alice, the seven-year old key protagonist and one of the fantasy characters in ‘Alice in Wonderland’, the nineteenth century fairy tale by British author Lewis Caroll. The Mad Hatter could be multi-media Egyptian artist Riham ElSadany who […]
Sketching out the reality surrounding him in his hometown of Aswan, El Dewihi, born in 1978, diligently transforms his world into timeless creatures, mirroring ancient Egyptian sculptures and defying today’s struggles and tomorrow’s uncertainties. Whereas ancient Egyptian sculptors focused on glorifying their ‘masters’ turning them into Gods ready for the after-life, El Dewihi celebrates and […]
Creating works that allow the viewer a great freedom to explore, imagine and translate peacefully and independently, Nasr borrows and is deeply inspired by Egypt and Sufism. It is Nasr’s affinity with Sufism that is constant across his chosen path, dictating his concepts, his choices and his final creations. Sufism, defined by scholars as the […]
If Salah Jahin played a pivotal role in the development of Egyptian colloquial poetry with an innate nationalistic flair, Alexandria-based visual artist Guirguis Lotfy is probably the only painter in Egypt whose oeuvre constitutes what he and each one of us can identify as our Egypt. In fact, Lotfy is probably the only Egyptian […]
ArtTalks is pleased to announce the duo exhibition of Sabhan Adam | Hossam Dirar: Beauty and The Beast, their first exhibition at the Gallery. Syrian-born artist Sabhan Adam (1973) and Egyptian-born artist Hossam Dirar (1978) challenge universal notions of beauty and ugliness, through the art of portraiture. Each artist presents his perception of individuality by seeking to bring […]
SOBHY GUIRGUIS departed this world on January 21st, 2013 at the age of 83, leaving behind an unparalleled legacy of avant-gardism, modernity and humanity. His body of work rouses a certain awe by virtue of his selflessness, naivety and indefatigable commitment to artistic creation. Sobhy Guirguis was probably the most existential Egyptian artist of the […]
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, works and Lives in Alexandria. Holds a BFA (1980), an MFA (1986) and a PhD (1991). A student of Pioneer Modern Artists Hamed Nada and Hamed Owais. Guirguis LotfY is a true gem within the Contemporary Egyptian Art Scene. He is a scholar, holding a PhD on the “Philosophy of Art” with a thesis […]
Weaam El-Masry (born 1976) has won over 17 awards from different institutions in Egypt such as the Youth Salons of the Ministry of Culture, Rateb Sedik Award and Port Said Biennale in Painting, Photography and Video Installations. An achievement difficult to compete with for her young age. With over 40 exhibitions under her belt and […]
Born in Egypt, educated in France and living in New York City, Ghada Amer’s international artistic trajectory is inspiring, fascinating and bold. Her extraordinary portfolio of work, that continually challenges convention and turns traditions on their head, placed Amer as one of the top female artists in the world.Painter, sculptor, garden designer, performer, installation artist, […]
Keizer, a nickname, rose from a wave of daring street artists, who during the 2011 popular Egyptian uprising took Egypt by storm. With clean cut looking pieces used as a means to achieve social change, Keizer aimed at triggering passers-by and protesters to think for themselves and to free their mind by unlocking restricted paradigms […]
Mohamed Sharkawy was born in 1982 in Qena, Upper Egypt. He now lives and works in Bahrain. Using minimalist form, flat colors 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 […]
Born in 1982, Maged Mekhail presents his first solo exhibition at ArtTalks proudly titled Egyptian, I am.
Long Live Free Art! is a long overdue Homage to the 1930’s Egyptian Art and Liberty Group (Art et Liberté) who fought unequivocally for freedom. Nine Egyptian Contemporary Artists showcase works that carry the torch of their freedom fighting predecessors.
Mohsen Abou El-Azm is one of Egypt’s best living satirical painters | social expressionists. Born in 1958 in Fayoum, Abou Al-Azm graduated from the Fine Arts University in Cairo, where he now lives and works. Abou El-Azm is an expressionist who uses his art as a vehicle of social criticism. His dynamic and colorful composition […]
Catalogue published with the Solo Exhibition of Egyptian Artist Guirguis Lotfy, at ArtTalks from April-May 2013.
Dr Sobhy Guirguis (1929-2013) was undoubtedly a lonesome Genius and one of Egypt’s top contemporary artists. Instantly recognizable, Guirguis’ works – both sculptures and paintings – consist of abstract geometric shapes based on figurative implications, combining outstanding technical skills and an unbeatable intimate appeal – all in an utterly childish, utopian, naïve manner. Living and […]
Sobhy Guirguis: The Self and The Other is a retrospective to commemorate the first anniversary of the passing of a remarkable Egyptian artist, Sobhy Guirguis. The show brings together over 60 of his most definitive paintings and sculptures, many previously unseen, spanning 60 years of artistic production. Through their child-like appearance and unusual geometric shapes, […]
Weaam el Masry’s work explores issues of her native society especially the position of women, relationships and religion, yet is timeless and universal.
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 […]
Nadia Wahdan was born in 1977 in Egypt. She studied at the Fine Arts School, Helwan University, in Cairo where she lives. Wahdan is an innovative mixed-media artist, who likes to challenge the status quo. She has developed her own signature style of mixing digital photography, hand coloring and sowing materials onto the canvas. Most […]
Born in 1978 in Cairo, Egypt, Riham El Sadany works and lives between Egypt and the USA. With a PhD from Helwan Fine Arts university on Performance Arts, El Sadany draws upon a diverse range of influences, including surrealism, Picasso’s childlike spontaneity, and Frida Kahlo’s transforming of pain and struggle into stunning canvasses. A mixed […]
Born in 1981 in Luxor, Alaa Awad lives and works between Cairo and Luxor. He graduated from Luxor Faculty of Fine Arts in 2004 and currently teaches in its department of mural painting. Awad took a break from teaching and came to Tahrir Square to take part in the January 25, 2011 Revolution. Soon, he […]
SOBHY GUIRGUIS departed this world on January 21st, 2013 at the age of 83, leaving behind an unparalleled legacy of avant-gardism, modernity and humanity. His body of work rouses a certain awe by virtue of his selflessness, naivety and indefatigable commitment to artistic creation. Sobhy Guirguis was probably the most existential Egyptian artist of the […]
In “Beyond Borders”, Boraey takes us on an imaginary journey of what could lie beyond the borders of the earth, of one’s home and of one’s mind. With a distinctive painting technique and a thrilling imagination, Boraey has created a poetic and dramatic world of fantasy depicting the illusion of a better life, by simply […]
Internationally-acclaimed Sabhan Adam obsessively explores the overwhelming pains of the world and depicts the harsh reality of living in its most stirring animism. Partially human, partially beast, his stunning creatures, possessed with human anguish, are rich in primal brutality. The truth is a harsh one for humanity as a whole and Adam is convinced there […]
Egyptian-born visual artist Hossam Dirar (1978) celebrates beauty. Combining fragmented images of faces, at times of the whole body, Dirar paints chaotic, impulsive and richly multi-layered texturized palettes to express individual identity. Selected as one of the twelve emerging artists of great promise from around the world by Saatchi chief curator in their series ‘Invest […]
A mixed media artist, ElSadany indulges into a world of dramatic, sensual fantasy, masterly vacillating between the forbidden and the allowed, the real and imaginary, the wishful and the reality, the unattainable and the reachable, in a world where women have the upper hand. When looking at El Sadany’s entire body of work, one wonders […]
Guirguis Lotfy produces stunning depictions of contemporary daily Egyptian life using long forgotten elaborate and rich painting techniques. He resuscitates ancient painting techniques used from the first to the fourth century, such as egg tempera, and ensures the transmission of this unique art to future generations. Lotfy masters this elaborate method to depict two-dimensional set […]
Egyptian-born, New-York based Ghada Amer is offering a series of rare, limited edition, original hand-painted prints currently available for sale at ArtTalks | Egypt. Continually challenging convention and turning traditions on their head, Ghada Amer celebrates female pleasure and seeks to unravel the incomprehensibility of love, playing with Fairy Tale legends such as Sleeping Beauty or […]
Nadine Hammam was born in 1973 in Cairo, Egypt and lives and works in Cairo. She received a BA in English and Comparative Literature from the American University in Cairo and an MA in Fine Art from Central St. Martins, London. A multi-disciplinary and conceptual artist, she works with painting, writing, sound installations, video. Shedeconstructsgender […]
