Whether from Europe, Africa, Asia, or anywhere in the world, Fady Francis diversifies his art to include individuals who promote peace, artists, scientists, and individuals who have made a difference. From Mother Theresa and Albert Einstein to Maradona, Ramses II, and Steve Jobs, among many others, his pieces stand out for being exceptionally detailed despite being created as caricatures.
Born to an artist and an award-winning antiquities expert, 30-year-old, Francis experimented with different art forms for years, until he found his way to sculpting the likenesses of influential figures out of polymer clay.
To carve one character, which can be from 7 to 18 cm long, the process can take between 15 and 20 hours of work. Francis uses simple sculpting tools, a magnifying glass, and thermal clay. The clay is heated in the oven to be molded into a plastic-like material, which is then delicately painted to render the desired celebrity sculpture.
Inspired by ancient Egyptian sculpture, Francis, who is originally from Luxor, believes in the importance of visual arts culture. Stemming from his belief that art is therapeutic, Francis explains that “a person can put his energy into art”. As a journalist himself, he dedicated an entire page for art in Al-Masry Al-Youm where he works, and named it ‘Art Therapy’.
He enthuses about the benefits of art, one of which is its capacity to alleviate feelings of loneliness. “Art psychologically resonates with people and makes a difference in their lives,” he adds confidently.
In 2019, he started a still on-going attempt to break a world record of creating 100 miniature sculptures of 100 influential figures, hoping to exhibit them in the near future. Following that, 2020, which was known as the “COVID-19 year”, was a significant year for him as he crafted nearly 65 characters, while deepening his knowledge about sculpting.
Today, he is finally preparing for the exhibition he has always dreamt of, with the date yet to be decided. The last figures he made were of Pablo Picasso and Andrea Bocelli, among others.
“The exhibition aims to show that art unites humanity, despite different languages and cultures,” he highlights.
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