The 5th edition of “The Collector’s Eye” exhibition is the first of this year’s Fall art season displaying rare Egyptian contemporary pieces. From Fathy Afifi’s trumpeters (Oil on canvas, 2007) which exudes the celebratory tone of earlier years, to Guirguis Lotfy’s joyful captures of newborns, Refaat Ahmed’s depiction of Siwa Oasis’ purification bliss to Hassan Rashed Sayed’s wedding dressage, Ubuntu’s exhibition “The Collector’s Eye” reflects a sense of sophistication, confidence and mindful optimism. Could the dawn of Cairo’s artistic golden age be upon us? When you walk into the gallery, you are immediately greeted with a pair of Guirguis Lotfy creations. Lotfy is a highly admired contemporary Egyptian painter, whose artwork often depicts Japanese manga-ish Coptic figures and stylized treatment. The Alexandrian artist fashions the centuries-old technique of tempera painting for his work, utilizing beeswax, egg-yolk and gold leaf. In the ground floor of the gallery hangs an oversized canvas illustrating a picnic in the park scene, of everyday people by Lofty. It is of Egyptians as the way they are, with a dedicated attention to each character akin to iconic paintings at old chapels which seek to individualize the…
Trumpets, Dressage and Oasis Spa: a Golden Age Reflected in Ubuntu’s Latest Exhibition
September 19, 2018
