Participating for the 4th year in the 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair London 2021, Mashrabia is proud to be presenting the work of four emerging Egyptian female artists: Sara Ayman, Rawan Abbas, Najla Said, & Sabah Naim.
Sara Ayman
Born in 1996, Sara is an Egyptian multimedia artist. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Applied Arts from the New Cairo Academy, with a specialization in Graphic Design. The artist made her debut in the contemporary Art world at the All-Girl exhibition “My Favourite Things 5” held at Mashrabia Gallery of Contemporary Art with a piece titled “Me Too” which tackled the theme of sexual harassment in Egypt. Within just a few days, the artwork went viral on the internet, which contributed to spark a debate around the issue of harassment in the country, where many Egyptian
men and women took part.
Very different is the series we will present at 1-54: "We Are Not Talking About It". This series is not political or militant at all; it’s a series of pages shaped as a personal diary accompanying the artist’s journey, navigating her most intimate daily thoughts. Sara’s work pushes us to consider that what is most personal is also what is most universal; nothing human is strange to another human. Like the American psychologist Carl Rogers summarizes it: “What is most
personal is most general”.
Sara Ayman
Born in 1996, Sara is an Egyptian multimedia artist. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Applied Arts from the New Cairo Academy, with a specialization in Graphic Design. The artist made her debut in the contemporary Art world at the All-Girl exhibition “My Favourite Things 5” held at Mashrabia Gallery of Contemporary Art with a piece titled “Me Too” which tackled the theme of sexual harassment in Egypt. Within just a few days, the artwork went viral on the internet, which contributed to spark a debate around the issue of harassment in the country, where many Egyptian
men and women took part.
Very different is the series we will present at 1-54: "We Are Not Talking About It". This series is not political or militant at all; it’s a series of pages shaped as a personal diary accompanying the artist’s journey, navigating her most intimate daily thoughts. Sara’s work pushes us to consider that what is most personal is also what is most universal; nothing human is strange to another human. Like the American psychologist Carl Rogers summarizes it: “What is most
personal is most general”.
Rawan Abbas
Rawan Abbas is an Egyptian, Cairo-based, mixed-media artist. She has a BA from the Faculty of Applied Arts - Helwan University where she initially studied drawing and painting. Her work is informed by her Egyptian heritage, the vast body of visual and literary works available to her, and the accumulation of culture and beliefs that shape society and,
consequently – her experiences as a young woman in the 21st century. Rawan isn't governed by a certain medium or discipline, she's constantly looking for the right expression for every unique concept.
Her artistic practice aims to turn private instances into collective experiences. She draws inspiration from a variety of sources; embodied experiences, her heritage, her country’s history, and stories, to name a few. She works with textiles and fiber to create tapestries and installations. She paints, embroiders, and manipulates the fabric to create her tapestries while her installations tend to utilise crochet and macrame making. Her use of those materials is intentional as they have a history in almost all cultures, and they connect her to many of the women who took up and developed textile crafts. Rawan further explains: “Fabrics are familiar objects I interact with daily; they drape over my body, they cover surfaces in my house, they are containers of memory and intent. They are objects we have collectively formed an understanding of, for example, how they’re used to project societal and economic status. This intimate relationship makes them an ideal medium for my work."
Rawan Abbas is an Egyptian, Cairo-based, mixed-media artist. She has a BA from the Faculty of Applied Arts - Helwan University where she initially studied drawing and painting. Her work is informed by her Egyptian heritage, the vast body of visual and literary works available to her, and the accumulation of culture and beliefs that shape society and,
consequently – her experiences as a young woman in the 21st century. Rawan isn't governed by a certain medium or discipline, she's constantly looking for the right expression for every unique concept.
Her artistic practice aims to turn private instances into collective experiences. She draws inspiration from a variety of sources; embodied experiences, her heritage, her country’s history, and stories, to name a few. She works with textiles and fiber to create tapestries and installations. She paints, embroiders, and manipulates the fabric to create her tapestries while her installations tend to utilise crochet and macrame making. Her use of those materials is intentional as they have a history in almost all cultures, and they connect her to many of the women who took up and developed textile crafts. Rawan further explains: “Fabrics are familiar objects I interact with daily; they drape over my body, they cover surfaces in my house, they are containers of memory and intent. They are objects we have collectively formed an understanding of, for example, how they’re used to project societal and economic status. This intimate relationship makes them an ideal medium for my work."
Najla Said
Born in 1999, Najla Said is a photographer. The series Sister, Oh Sister "أختي يا أختي" is a photographic series exploring a first-person account of the experience of womanhood in Cairo. The series recontextualizes extracted elements within the Egyptian vernacular culture, in order to create alternative representations of womanhood. Each photograph questions the validity of the components of “so-called” femininity, which are inevitably reinforced by the subconscious, established, quasi-dictatorial patriarchal norms. From the personified role hair plays in Arab communities, as a means to govern feminine comportment and belittle the essence of womanhood, to the consumption of the female body by the gaze, as well as to the empowerment sisterhood can offer as a safe space for women to exist. "Sister, Oh Sister" intends to provoke the categories Arab women have been limited to painfully squeezing in, and create a decolonized space for self-representation, self-definition, and self-validation.
Born in 1999, Najla Said is a photographer. The series Sister, Oh Sister "أختي يا أختي" is a photographic series exploring a first-person account of the experience of womanhood in Cairo. The series recontextualizes extracted elements within the Egyptian vernacular culture, in order to create alternative representations of womanhood. Each photograph questions the validity of the components of “so-called” femininity, which are inevitably reinforced by the subconscious, established, quasi-dictatorial patriarchal norms. From the personified role hair plays in Arab communities, as a means to govern feminine comportment and belittle the essence of womanhood, to the consumption of the female body by the gaze, as well as to the empowerment sisterhood can offer as a safe space for women to exist. "Sister, Oh Sister" intends to provoke the categories Arab women have been limited to painfully squeezing in, and create a decolonized space for self-representation, self-definition, and self-validation.
Sabah Naim
Sabah Naim (b.1967) is an Egyptian artist based in Cairo, holding a BFA, a MFA, and a PhD from the College of Art Education in Cairo (2003) and presently serving as an Assistant Professor.
Her work is characterized by a unique perspective and a distinctive visual language that challenges traditional norms, spanning from the reworking of images to embroidery. Naim employs an array of mediums such as fabrics, newspapers, and threads and she also incorporates photography, needlework, and hand-painted patterns into her work, transforming simple materials into rich, complex, and yet delicate surfaces.
Showcased in numerous solo and group exhibitions both in Egypt and internationally, Sabah Naim’s diverse body of work notably includes presentations at the Venice Biennale, the Alexandria Biennale, and the Havana Biennale. She has exhibited in galleries such as Lia Rumma in Italy, and Hayward Gallery in London, as well as in institutions like the Centre Pompidou and the Kunst Museum in Bonn. Naim’s artworks have become part of the permanent collections of esteemed institutions, such as the British Museum in London, the Museum of Modern Egyptian Art in Cairo, and the Egyptian Ministry of Culture in Cairo.
Sabah Naim (b.1967) is an Egyptian artist based in Cairo, holding a BFA, a MFA, and a PhD from the College of Art Education in Cairo (2003) and presently serving as an Assistant Professor.
Her work is characterized by a unique perspective and a distinctive visual language that challenges traditional norms, spanning from the reworking of images to embroidery. Naim employs an array of mediums such as fabrics, newspapers, and threads and she also incorporates photography, needlework, and hand-painted patterns into her work, transforming simple materials into rich, complex, and yet delicate surfaces.
Showcased in numerous solo and group exhibitions both in Egypt and internationally, Sabah Naim’s diverse body of work notably includes presentations at the Venice Biennale, the Alexandria Biennale, and the Havana Biennale. She has exhibited in galleries such as Lia Rumma in Italy, and Hayward Gallery in London, as well as in institutions like the Centre Pompidou and the Kunst Museum in Bonn. Naim’s artworks have become part of the permanent collections of esteemed institutions, such as the British Museum in London, the Museum of Modern Egyptian Art in Cairo, and the Egyptian Ministry of Culture in Cairo.