Arts & Culture

A Blend of Pop and Folk Cultures: Remembering Artist Chant Avedissian

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A Blend of Pop and Folk Cultures: Remembering Artist Chant Avedissian

Faten | image via Barjeel Art Foundation

In Chant Avedissian’s work, there are tales of Egypt’s glorious past and its iconic figures, taken from the heyday of Egyptian music and cinema. Avedissian’s work drew on Ottoman, Bedouin, and traditional Islamic motifs – blending in pop and folk cultures.

The Armenian-Egyptian artist challenged the separation of cultures in his work, and bridged tradition and modernity to depict his artistry.

His technique was visually simple – he printed images over stenciled backgrounds that are hand-painted and colored using local pigments. From Pharaonic hieroglyphs, to well-known Egyptian figures in Egypt’s golden age, and political figures between the 1940s and the 1970s, Avedissian’s work was nothing short of engaging and unique.

Avedissian passed away in Cairo at the age of 67, but his work remains highly praised and appreciated throughout the Arab region and the world at large.

Here are some pictures of Avedissian’s artwork, held widely by the National Museum of African Art, the British Museum in London, the National Museums of Scotland in Edinburgh, the Barjeel Foundation in Sharjah, and many more.

Umm Kalthum | image via the national
Abdel Halim Hafez | image via enterprise
Gamal Abdel Nasser | image via the national
Zaki Rostom | image via invaluable
Fawziya | image via invaluable
Asmahan | image via invaluable
Hend Rostom | image via invaluable
image via about her
Women Pilots | image via abutter
image via abutter
image via abutter

 

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Farah Rafik is a graduate from the American University in Cairo (AUC) with a dual degree in Multimedia Journalism and Political Science. After being an active participant in Model United Nation (MUN) conferences both locally and internationally, Farah discovered her love for writing. When she isn’t writing about Arts & Culture for Egyptian Streets, she is busy watching films and shows to review. Writing isn’t completed without a coffee or an iced matcha latte in hand—that she regularly spills. She occasionally challenges herself in reading challenges on Goodreads, and can easily read a book a day.

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