Egypt, the cradle of art

Moushira Ibrahim Hanafi Elazhari – World (2014)





"Amid oil paintings, gouaches, acrylics, mosaics on canvas, photos and collages – notes Luciano Benetton, the creator of Imago Mundi - a common aspiration for change clearly emerges. This is the case for the new generation that also works with new media and graffiti, taking a fresh approach, detached from the concept of the museum, the exhibition, the vernissage and the critics. But it is also the case for the older generations, who acknowledge the new air that is being breathed, while ensuring continuity with a history that dates back thousands of years.”

Taghreid Abdalla – Egyptian Tales (2014)

Curator of this Imago Mundi collection, Oriano Mabellini, President of Sarenco Foundation, recounts his itinerant search around a country traversed by political and social tensions. “Some important artists, for reasons of space, - notes Mabellini - have moved outside Cairo and opened large studios where they can work in peace and invite young artists. Most of the artists however have remained to work in the districts of the ancient city, at Attaba and Zamalek, where the traffic and the chaotic life of the economic and finance centre of Egypt does not arrive.” Mabellini moves next to the Delta, in the north, where in Alexandria and Mansura there are many artists to meet. Finally, from Alexandria he reaches his final stop at the oasis of Fayum, where an interesting group of artists operates.

Ann Abdel Fattah – Composition (2014)



“The objective of this common work - emphasizes Moataz El-Safty, director and founder of the EAN group – “is to provide a greater opportunity to spread the various Egyptian arts, so that the world will get to know new and contemporary Egyptian art.” He adds: “In Arabic EAN means ‘eye’, so we can adapt it for bright flashing points in the formative artistic movement that shed light on a group of artists in several artistic fields. Aiming at the convergence of these illuminated points onto the nucleus of the coming generations in order to renew artistic dialogue, once again coming together in a single point, EAN creates a dialogue between cultures by bringing together the activities of local and international workshops and preparing the appropriate environment through different arts.”

Donia Abdel Ghany – Eye Of Truth (2014)

The safety net of the non-governmental organizations has made it possible to protect at least part of Egyptian artistic activities, despite the turmoil of the past three years. Martina Corgnati, teacher of the History of Art at the Accademia Albertina of Turin, gives the example of Khaled Hafez, “who from the edges of the megalopolis not only continues to produce a flourishing and caustic Egyptian pop in a pictorial and video form, but is also involved in the critical-artistic debate, and the formation of younger artists and intellectuals.”

Miriam George Hathout – Donkeys In Love (2014)

Modern Egyptian art has been influenced in certain periods by Italian academic art and Impressionism, especially by the inauguration of the School of Arts in 1908. Academic art and Impressionism were an addition to Egyptian culture, and helped in shaping Egyptian art at that time, even though any product of these European forms was considered a clear deviation from national culture. This idea dominated the scene until several artists started serious attempts to explore the features of Egyptian identity and combine them with input from academic art and Impressionism.

Shahira Morsi – Red (2014)



The 1940s-1950s brought early signs of Surrealism in Egypt. As a result, artists from the same generation decided to pursue different paths. The first group of artists remained faithful to Impressionism, but the second group set about investigating different artistic aspects, and were rebellious to techniques, materials and Expressionist forms. These artists made serious attempts to shape and develop the Egyptian Art Movement by exploring Egyptian identity and establishing the concept of liberty in the Arts.

Karim Ibrahim Abdelmalak – The Hidden Half (2014)



The Nineties witnessed a breakthrough in the Arts Movement through the works of a new generation. They were able to open new horizons for Egyptian art, leaving behind criticism that the new movement was a replica of western art. The new materials used were highly criticized. Several articles described the new movement as lacking substance and identity, and as a stranger to our society. As the years went by, the new trends became more familiar, and criticism turned from rejection to serious attempts to explore and analyze their art, in order to be able to grasp these new concepts adopted by the new artists.

Moataz El-Safty – Back to Civilization (2014)



Luciano Benetton notes this artistic wealth with satisfaction: “The idea of revolution stems from the authenticity of personal artistic aspiration, often pointing a finger at the contradictions of the country, exploring forms, inhabitants, weaknesses, beliefs and hopes, with vivid languages that speak of the future. The Egyptian artists also seem to tell us that not everything can be explained. And at the heart of everything, in the visible as in the invisible, lies a bit of mystery.”