Thrilled to participate in the 2024 edition of Menart Fair in Paris, France! For its 5th edition, Menart will focus exclusively on the women's art scene in MENA, examining the legacy of pioneering female artists and highlighting contemporary and emerging female creators. We will present works by Alaa Ayman, Rania Ezzat, and Sabah Naim.
Alaa Ayman
Alaa Ayman (b.1995) is a painter and video artist based in Cairo. She graduated from Fine Arts in 2018 and further pursued Visual Arts at Studio Khana for Contemporary Art and Cultural Development in Cairo.
Alaa's painting process centers on building layers, working with oil to add, subtract, and blur. Most of her work is inspired by memories, stories, and even events, aiming to create her own mythology—a means of reconnecting her personal narrative with collective memory. She is deeply interested in human relations and enjoys observing people and listening to their stories. Drawn to the painterly quality of colors created by old film cameras, amateur lighting, as well as the informal postures of figures, she collects various items such as old photos, letters, tapes, negatives, etc. These diverse images collectively create a cast of characters and a narrative to draw from.
Alaa Ayman
Alaa Ayman (b.1995) is a painter and video artist based in Cairo. She graduated from Fine Arts in 2018 and further pursued Visual Arts at Studio Khana for Contemporary Art and Cultural Development in Cairo.
Alaa's painting process centers on building layers, working with oil to add, subtract, and blur. Most of her work is inspired by memories, stories, and even events, aiming to create her own mythology—a means of reconnecting her personal narrative with collective memory. She is deeply interested in human relations and enjoys observing people and listening to their stories. Drawn to the painterly quality of colors created by old film cameras, amateur lighting, as well as the informal postures of figures, she collects various items such as old photos, letters, tapes, negatives, etc. These diverse images collectively create a cast of characters and a narrative to draw from.
Rania Ezzat
Rania Ezzat (b.1975) received her Academic diploma in Classical Drawing and Engraving in 1998, followed by a Contemporary Visual Art diploma in 2007 from ‘HEAD’ (Haute Ecole d’ Art et de Design, formally ‘ESBA’; Haute Ecole des Beaux-Arts) in Geneva, Switzerland.
Rania’s approach evolved significantly from her early classical works as her practice shifted towards a more conceptual and contemporary style, incorporating performance and installation. She started participating in exhibitions while simultaneously working in contemporary art institutions, specifically in gallery management, mentoring, and curating. Her work matured further upon receiving her Visual Art diploma in 2007 and moving to Dubai, where she explored socio-political themes influenced by her new environment in the UAE. Returning to her hometown of Cairo in 2012, she adopted a more global and holistic approach to both life and art. Rania's diverse body of work includes drawing, painting, poetry, installation, and live performance, exhibited in Egypt and abroad. .
Rania Ezzat (b.1975) received her Academic diploma in Classical Drawing and Engraving in 1998, followed by a Contemporary Visual Art diploma in 2007 from ‘HEAD’ (Haute Ecole d’ Art et de Design, formally ‘ESBA’; Haute Ecole des Beaux-Arts) in Geneva, Switzerland.
Rania’s approach evolved significantly from her early classical works as her practice shifted towards a more conceptual and contemporary style, incorporating performance and installation. She started participating in exhibitions while simultaneously working in contemporary art institutions, specifically in gallery management, mentoring, and curating. Her work matured further upon receiving her Visual Art diploma in 2007 and moving to Dubai, where she explored socio-political themes influenced by her new environment in the UAE. Returning to her hometown of Cairo in 2012, she adopted a more global and holistic approach to both life and art. Rania's diverse body of work includes drawing, painting, poetry, installation, and live performance, exhibited in Egypt and abroad. .
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.