THE Athr Gallery, which prides itself on holding exhibitions that are at the forefront of contemporary Middle Eastern art, is currently holding an exhibition which is a treat for anyone who is interested in enriching their knowledge in this sphere. Entitled ‘From Egypt with Love', it features the work of 13 Egyptian artists who are active in the international modern art arena today. Opening nights at the Athr Gallery are becoming socially and culturally stimulating events to attend, and this one was no exception. As is usually the case, there were more women than men attending the evening, and the atmosphere buzzed with lively conversation about what was on show. Collectors were also present and several items had the coveted red spot beside them, indicating that they had been bought. Among the most popular items were sculptures by Ahmad Askalany, considered one of Egypt's most original younger generation artists. His famous palm leaf sculptures are produced with simple techniques, similar to hair plaiting, using natural colored palm leaves. His works aim to captivate the essential gestures and shapes of humanity, free of aggression, reflecting candor and innocence. His subjects include human figures and animals inspired from his Upper Egypt roots where simplicity is the essence of life. There were two large figures in the exhibition, one standing, the other seated. As they have no facial features, or defined limbs, they look rather like the historic mummies of Egypt. He is also talented in working with bronze and a small sculpture that captured people's attention was that of a man riding a bicycle, with a tray of bread buns on his head. Humor and charm is something that always attracts people, and another small sculpture that many people were drawn to was a small, bronze donkey, with his feet planted stubbornly apart, and his head hanging low. This was the work of Mohammad Radwan, a young man who has pursued his art form both practically and academically, and obtained a doctorate from Helwan University in 2006. His creative practice comprises a career of contemporary abstract sculpture using mainly iron and bronze, and there were also several of his abstract geometric forms in the exhibition, also very popular with the viewers. Among the paintings was work by Britt Butros Ghali, a Norwegian artist who made her home in Egypt some 30 years ago. Her studio is on a barge on the banks of the Nile, and Egypt's rich and colorful environment has been a great influence on her work. She is renowned for her vibrant, colorful and energetic portraits of women, using mixed media on canvas. Highly respected in her native Norway, Bhutros-Ghali was awarded the St. Olav's Order, the highest honor given to an artist by King Haakon of Norway, for promoting Norway through her art abroad. The large portraits by Atef Ahmed all commanded attention, particularly a profile of a young woman surrounded by the fabric of her ‘hijab', all in a gorgeous mix of warm oranges, pinks, reds. It was one of those paintings that you could enjoy on your wall at home. On closer examination, you realize that it is, in fact, not really a painting, but a mix of photography and fabric, and the surface is textured. Ahmed began as a painter but he began to work with a combination of painting and photography to search for new forms for the surface in an experimental way, printing photographs on mixed paper, wood and canvas, and combining portraits with the abstract. ‘Untitled' by Essam Marouf was another painting – acrylic on canvas – which generated a lot of discussion and indeed, did make you wonder what it was all about: the lower half comprised 11 upturned women's faces, gazing in wonder at something. Only one of these women is not gazing the same way: she stares directly at the viewer, and while all the other faces are a pale skin colour, she has a blue face. In the upper half of the painting, there are another ten faces, but none of these have any features at all. Marouf's work nearly always focuses on women and the female figure. An artist who uses imagery from Ancient Egyptian history and mythology is Khaled Hafez. He studied medicine at Cairo University and, at the same time, took evening classes at the Faculty of Fine Arts. Eventually, he became a full-time artist. In an interview with Youssra El-Sharkawy, he says of his work: “In Ancient Egyptian arts, a painting has to tell a story. There was always a reason. Pharaonic paintings tell us how the Pharaohs lived or delivered a message. They are documentaries. Their paintings were stories, and mine are too.” Inspired by ancient Egyptian wall paintings, Hafez uses ideograms and pictograms, and tries to break the barriers between past and present, East and West. “Egypt is in the African continent and the Middle East, he added in the interview with El-Sharkawy. “It was Pharaonic, then Christian; now it is Arab and Islamic. Egypt has been influenced by many cultures.” Hafez uses mixed media on canvas – and he gives his paintings titles! The Athr Gallery is on Tahlia Street next to the Serafi Mall. For more details see www.athrart.com
