\We are pleased to announce our participation in this year's Beirut Art Fair, the leading platform for the discovery of new artists, trends, galleries, institutions, and publications from the MENA region, representing a principal catalyst for artistic development of the region.
For our third participation we are presenting the artworks of the following artists: Adel El Siwi, Ahmed Askalany, Hany Rashed, Qarm Qart, Soad Abd El Rasoul, Keizer, and Youssif Nabil.
Adel El Siwi
Widely known for his monumental faces, Adel El Siwi’s impressive and deeply personal painting technique combined
with his ability to continuously update his narrative skills, as well as his unshakable faith in the possibility of giving birth to new worlds by means of painting, give birth to a body of work that is at the same time strongly sensual and conceptually lucid. El Siwi’s colorful large canvases are equipped with a dazzling interior light as if proclaiming a revelation, each telling a full story of its own. El Siwi sets up a fine network of cultured citations drawn from literature, cinema, and art history. Several private collections and museums hold his acquisitions, such as the British Museum in London, UK, The Guggenheim in Abu Dhabi, UAE, the IMA in Paris, France, and Mathaf in Doha, Qatar.
For our third participation we are presenting the artworks of the following artists: Adel El Siwi, Ahmed Askalany, Hany Rashed, Qarm Qart, Soad Abd El Rasoul, Keizer, and Youssif Nabil.
Adel El Siwi
Widely known for his monumental faces, Adel El Siwi’s impressive and deeply personal painting technique combined
with his ability to continuously update his narrative skills, as well as his unshakable faith in the possibility of giving birth to new worlds by means of painting, give birth to a body of work that is at the same time strongly sensual and conceptually lucid. El Siwi’s colorful large canvases are equipped with a dazzling interior light as if proclaiming a revelation, each telling a full story of its own. El Siwi sets up a fine network of cultured citations drawn from literature, cinema, and art history. Several private collections and museums hold his acquisitions, such as the British Museum in London, UK, The Guggenheim in Abu Dhabi, UAE, the IMA in Paris, France, and Mathaf in Doha, Qatar.
Ahmed Askalany
Born in 1978 in Nag Hammadi, Upper Egypt, Ahmed Askalany currently lives and works in Cairo. His work shows an explicit connection with traditional materials and craft methods associated with the ancient cultures of Egypt. Throughout his career as a sculptor, Askalany experimented with different materials, valuing also poor and fragile ones, such as terracotta and palm leaves, and recovering discarded and abandoned ones, such as tires. Characteristic of Askalany’s works are the aesthetic forms that place an emphasis on both structure and volume, as well as an innocent sense of isolation that reflects frankness, candor and a poetic sensitivity. Human figures and animals inspired by his native town make up an impressive mini-show of small sculptures which convey a sense of familiarity and invite the public to interact with them. Fat figures with tiny heads–parents, sons, daughters, and couples showing loving gestures – are represented in their exaggerated volume with a playful streak of humor and can represent either a form of social criticism or nostalgia for feelings of the past that have now been lost. Ahmed Askalany took part in several exhibitions abroad in France, Italy, and the Netherlands. His work was also displayed at the 4th Rome and Mediterranean Countries Biennale in Sarajevo, Bosnia in 2011 and the 2009 Venice Biennale.
Born in 1978 in Nag Hammadi, Upper Egypt, Ahmed Askalany currently lives and works in Cairo. His work shows an explicit connection with traditional materials and craft methods associated with the ancient cultures of Egypt. Throughout his career as a sculptor, Askalany experimented with different materials, valuing also poor and fragile ones, such as terracotta and palm leaves, and recovering discarded and abandoned ones, such as tires. Characteristic of Askalany’s works are the aesthetic forms that place an emphasis on both structure and volume, as well as an innocent sense of isolation that reflects frankness, candor and a poetic sensitivity. Human figures and animals inspired by his native town make up an impressive mini-show of small sculptures which convey a sense of familiarity and invite the public to interact with them. Fat figures with tiny heads–parents, sons, daughters, and couples showing loving gestures – are represented in their exaggerated volume with a playful streak of humor and can represent either a form of social criticism or nostalgia for feelings of the past that have now been lost. Ahmed Askalany took part in several exhibitions abroad in France, Italy, and the Netherlands. His work was also displayed at the 4th Rome and Mediterranean Countries Biennale in Sarajevo, Bosnia in 2011 and the 2009 Venice Biennale.
Hany Rashed
Born in 1975, Hany Rashed lives and works in Cairo. A self-taught artist, Rashed has worked closely with renowned artist Mohamed Abla - who became his mentor. By experimenting with a wide range of techniques, Rashed continuously reinvents himself and his work. His predilection for the use of media images pushes the audience to recognize the banality and the damage caused by excessive exposure to Western media, highlighting the denationalization of the individual. Since the 2011 Revolution, Rashed has played a leading role in documenting part of the contemporary Egyptian history through his sarcastic production.
Born in 1975, Hany Rashed lives and works in Cairo. A self-taught artist, Rashed has worked closely with renowned artist Mohamed Abla - who became his mentor. By experimenting with a wide range of techniques, Rashed continuously reinvents himself and his work. His predilection for the use of media images pushes the audience to recognize the banality and the damage caused by excessive exposure to Western media, highlighting the denationalization of the individual. Since the 2011 Revolution, Rashed has played a leading role in documenting part of the contemporary Egyptian history through his sarcastic production.
Qarm Qart
An artist, a writer and a translator, Carmine Cartolano aka Qarm Qart was born in 1972 in Buonabitacolo (Salerno). Qarm Qart enacts a profound reading of Naguib Mahfouz. In the stunning modernity of Mahfouz’s Cairo Trilogy with its sweeping grandeur and evocative detail, Qart sees contemporary Egypt. Palace Walk (Bayn al-Qasrain), Palace of Desire (Qasr al-Shawq), and Sugar Street (Al-Sukkariyya) are starting points for the images Qart stitches onto the tarboush which serves as the canvas for his imagined world. Qart’s "Qarboush" offers multiple layers of meaning in the interpretation of Egyptian past and presents. The tarboush as male headgear is now an historical relic, but what about its symbolic force of national and patriarchal privilege? The artist makes us ponder whether this privilege has gone with the tarboush itself as he ushers us into disquieting yet intriguing spaces. Disruptions and continuities haunt the pinpricks of his Qarboush.
An artist, a writer and a translator, Carmine Cartolano aka Qarm Qart was born in 1972 in Buonabitacolo (Salerno). Qarm Qart enacts a profound reading of Naguib Mahfouz. In the stunning modernity of Mahfouz’s Cairo Trilogy with its sweeping grandeur and evocative detail, Qart sees contemporary Egypt. Palace Walk (Bayn al-Qasrain), Palace of Desire (Qasr al-Shawq), and Sugar Street (Al-Sukkariyya) are starting points for the images Qart stitches onto the tarboush which serves as the canvas for his imagined world. Qart’s "Qarboush" offers multiple layers of meaning in the interpretation of Egyptian past and presents. The tarboush as male headgear is now an historical relic, but what about its symbolic force of national and patriarchal privilege? The artist makes us ponder whether this privilege has gone with the tarboush itself as he ushers us into disquieting yet intriguing spaces. Disruptions and continuities haunt the pinpricks of his Qarboush.
Soad Abdel Rasoul
Soad Abdel Rasoul employs different mediums such as drawing, painting, graphic design, and collage to delineate densely detailed and interweaving human and geographical maps that help us to trace back our roots in the magnitude of the living world. By depicting metamorphosed figures, she doesn’t seek to visualize human physical beauty, but attempts to reflect on the earth’s secrets and the connections between humans and the elements of existence like earth, metals and plants. Tree-like figures, branching veins and arteries, and monstrous insect-like characters merge on ink-colour-mixed media canvases and collage busts to remind viewers of the vital bond between the interior of the human body and the exterior. By using fragments of maps and scientific illustrations of the human body, Soad Abdel Rasoul re-conceptualizes the way we perceive space and repurposes notions of body, science, and nature into something strikingly personal, which exalts the feminine, the emotional, the overgrowing natural, and the animalcule.
Soad Abdelrasoul lives and works in Cairo. She graduated in 1998 from Fine Arts, completed her masters in History of Art in 2005, and finished her PhD in Modern Art History in 2012. In addition to designing book covers and books for children, Soad conducts art workshops for children inside and outside Egypt. She has taken part in many group and solo exhibitions in Egypt and abroad, such as: Red Hill Gallery, Kenya (2016); Circle Art gallery and Gravetty art gallery, Kenya (2018); Mashrabia Gallery of contemporary art, Cairo, Egypt (2017,2012); Caravan Gallery, USA (2014); Gazambo Gallery, Madrid, Spain (2013).
Soad Abdel Rasoul employs different mediums such as drawing, painting, graphic design, and collage to delineate densely detailed and interweaving human and geographical maps that help us to trace back our roots in the magnitude of the living world. By depicting metamorphosed figures, she doesn’t seek to visualize human physical beauty, but attempts to reflect on the earth’s secrets and the connections between humans and the elements of existence like earth, metals and plants. Tree-like figures, branching veins and arteries, and monstrous insect-like characters merge on ink-colour-mixed media canvases and collage busts to remind viewers of the vital bond between the interior of the human body and the exterior. By using fragments of maps and scientific illustrations of the human body, Soad Abdel Rasoul re-conceptualizes the way we perceive space and repurposes notions of body, science, and nature into something strikingly personal, which exalts the feminine, the emotional, the overgrowing natural, and the animalcule.
Soad Abdelrasoul lives and works in Cairo. She graduated in 1998 from Fine Arts, completed her masters in History of Art in 2005, and finished her PhD in Modern Art History in 2012. In addition to designing book covers and books for children, Soad conducts art workshops for children inside and outside Egypt. She has taken part in many group and solo exhibitions in Egypt and abroad, such as: Red Hill Gallery, Kenya (2016); Circle Art gallery and Gravetty art gallery, Kenya (2018); Mashrabia Gallery of contemporary art, Cairo, Egypt (2017,2012); Caravan Gallery, USA (2014); Gazambo Gallery, Madrid, Spain (2013).
Keizer
Keizer is the alias of an anonymous Egyptian street artist and graffiti artist whose work has gained popularity and notoriety following the 2011 Egyptian Revolution. Keizer's artistic style has been noted as reminiscent of that of Banksy and Shepard Fairey. Among the images stenciled by Keizer in Egyptian streets are images of ants. In the artist's words: "The ant symbolizes the forgotten ones, the silenced, the nameless, those marginalized by capitalism. They are the working class, the common people, the colony that struggles and sacrifices blindly for the queen ant and her monarchy."
Keizer is the alias of an anonymous Egyptian street artist and graffiti artist whose work has gained popularity and notoriety following the 2011 Egyptian Revolution. Keizer's artistic style has been noted as reminiscent of that of Banksy and Shepard Fairey. Among the images stenciled by Keizer in Egyptian streets are images of ants. In the artist's words: "The ant symbolizes the forgotten ones, the silenced, the nameless, those marginalized by capitalism. They are the working class, the common people, the colony that struggles and sacrifices blindly for the queen ant and her monarchy."
Youssef Nabil
Youssef Nabil is an artist who works primarily with photography and video. Born in Cairo, Egypt, in 1972, he currently lives and works in New York City and Miami. He is known for his distinctive technique of hand-coloring silver gelatin prints, which remove the blemishes of reality and evoke the golden age of Egyptian cinema. Nabil challenges preconceived notions about the aesthetics typically associated with these mediums, as well as those linked to his culture. His artwork evokes a sense of longing and nostalgia, allowing his work to flicker between the present and another era.
Youssef Nabil is an artist who works primarily with photography and video. Born in Cairo, Egypt, in 1972, he currently lives and works in New York City and Miami. He is known for his distinctive technique of hand-coloring silver gelatin prints, which remove the blemishes of reality and evoke the golden age of Egyptian cinema. Nabil challenges preconceived notions about the aesthetics typically associated with these mediums, as well as those linked to his culture. His artwork evokes a sense of longing and nostalgia, allowing his work to flicker between the present and another era.