ART JOURNEY: Zamalek Art Gallery

ART JOURNEY: Zamalek Art Gallery - Egypt 

By Jorge Jefferds June 11, 2015 

When you visit Cairo, in Egypt, and you have such an adventurous spirit for searching the past of the greatest pharaohs, this is you start. Zamalek ArtGallery encompasses historical antiques and contemporary art. The Gallery houses a permanent collection for pioneer Egyptian artists, as well as for promising young talents. It is located in the heart of Zamalek, the cosmopolitan quarter of the capital, where most of the cultural events take place. A 200-square-meter of exhibiting area, this is one of the most spacious private galleries in Cairo.

Zamalek Art Gallery organized several Art Festivals and Cultural events, and carried out a considerable number of projects. Some of the permanent collections include artwork by artists like Abd El Rahman El Nachar, Gazbia Sirry, Armen Agop, and Souad Mardam Bey.

Born in 1923, El Nachar obtained his PHD in Art (painting division), from the Budapest Art Academy in 1978. He participated in numerous exhibitions and was awarded the 1st prize in painting at the Cairo Salon, and later the 1st prize of the 4th Biennale 1992. Most of his work is now exhibited in El Nachar / Al Sageny Museum, located on the Alexandria-Cairo Desert Road.

In the early stages of his artistic career, El Nachar depicted themes that adhered to reality of everyday life through a combination of both expressionism and surrealism. It was later that he subjected his art to a change in style and moved to Abstract Art. During the last 10 years of his artistic life, before his demise in 1999, El Nachar ventured into the realm of Islamic Art, a primary medium of geometric abstraction.

Born in Cairo, Gazbia Sirry studied fine arts and became a professor in the painting department of the faculty of Art education, Helwan University.

Gazbia is considered one of the leading Egyptian artists, with a varied and innovative career of more than 50 years.

Her career is rich and diversified, and is characterized by an extraordinary versatility. It would be difficult, though, to confine and limit Gazbia in any traditional school, although her vivid and bold brushstrokes share features with neo-expressionism: a school of individuality and personality.

With a rich curriculum, including more than 50 personal exhibitions, from Paris to Washington, from Venice to Sao Paolo, from Kuwait to Tunis, official purchases by international museums, international prizes, scholarships and important university chairs, Gazbia continues to paint for the love of art, a way to express her joys and fears. Describing her art, Mokhtar El Attar, said:

"Gazbia does not paint, but rather pours her soul, talent and intelligence on the canvas".

Born in Cairo in 1969, Armen Agop graduated from the sculpture department in the Faculty of Fine Arts from Helwan University, Cairo, and then received an Assistant Research Scholarship in the Faculty of Fine Arts. In Cairo, he participated in many diverse shows: exhibiting at the National Exhibition of Plastic Art, and at the Autumn Salon, where he received the sculpture prize in 1998. In 2000, he showed at the Safar Khan Gallery with the work of Kamal Khalifa. In 2005, he held his first solo exhibit at the Center of Art Ekhnaton 1 Gallery. In 2000, after receiving the State Prize of Artistic Creativity "Prix de Rome," he moved to Italy where he began to show in the National Gallery of Modern Art with the exhibition, "Diario degli artisti stranieri a Roma;" the same year he participated in the show, "Young Egyptian Artists" at the Egyptian Academy in Rome. In 2005, he participated in the collection, "Lo spirito della pietra" at the Accademia nazionale di San Luca, Rome. Also that year he held a solo exhibition at the Centro Culturale L. Russo in Pietrasanta, Italy.
At the same time, he showed abroad: in 2002, he participated in "Scultori della provincia di Lucca" in Miami, Florida. In 2003, he participated in the Guillin Yuzi Paradise International Sculpture Exhibition in China, the Bergen Fylkesgalleri Exhibition in Bergan, Norway and in the Toyamura International Sculpture Biennale in Japan.
In 2005, he showed in Egyptian Contemporary Art, Toledo, Spain and in the M.P.V. Gallery, Holland.
From 2006 through 2008 he exhibited in the Veksolund Gallery in Denmark. His works are also represented in the Egyptian Modern Art Museum, Egypt, Aswan Open Air Museum, Aswan, Open Air Museum of St. Martin Park, Comblain-au-pont, Belgium, and Coral Springs Museum of Art in Florida, USA.

Mardam Bey’s oversized canvases are brimming with undercurrents of emotion; layers of color and intricate details which adorn her subjects, yet it is their eyes that leave you spellbound. Trapped behind hauntingly beautiful irises are tales derived from life.

Her palette alternates from one painting to another; through scarlet backgrounds, violet turbans, and orange cloaks - the artist professes her passion for color. Still, she grants each of her subjects a colorfully, melancholic persona. Their plush lips are sealed, fencing in their deepest secrets, while their eyes ratify an ethereal disposition.

The artist has seen her subjects a million times before, either lurking around or speeding past her on the streets - and all around her head. It is humankind, which drives this artist’s paint brush. Yet Mardam Bey does not simply produce snapshots of your everyday man and woman - she creates a community of otherworldly creatures, held captive to her use of overpowering colors and entrancing techniques.

The gallery is open from 1030am until 9pm except Fridays.