Play your cards right

A child gazes intently into a deck of fortune-telling cards. Hamed Nada's works depict ordinary Egyptian lives, but often include mystical Sufi symbols. Is the child seeking a better fortune?

Feline fortunes

The wise-looking cat seems to know something. Is the cat a fortune-teller, too? Where is it looking?

Strange symbols

The cat's eyes lead us to this hand in the top left of the image. Nada used symbols from the Sufi culture of Islamic mysticism to add depth to his work. This hand is a symbol of good fortune.

Symbolism

The Women of Dignity portrays two women with markedly long necks, wide eyes, and large, round heads whose sizes are disproportionate to the size of their body. The painting symbolic as it embodies the unique, non-naturalistic style of representation in African art.

Color explosion

As is common in Moyo’s works, one sees the rich use of different colours – yellow, blue, white, brown, green, orange, and black.

Etching patterns

The patterns were etched as a decorative composition after the painting was done on the canvas.

Connected to culture

Moyo never lost touch with his home and his art was centered on his indigenous Yoruba heritage. The piece seeks to celebrate African women and the pride of womanhood.

Inspired by traditional textiles

The textural patterns all over the painting are inspired by the patterns commonly found on the Yoruba textile.