Venus Fouad views some innovative art on the revolution Artists throughout history have immortalised revolutions, upheavals, and war. Ancient Egyptian and Greek temples are replete with imagery of battlefield, icons of victory, and murals recording moments of glory and change. This is still true today. The 25 January Revolution has fired up the imagination of dozens of artists whose burst of artistic creativity resulted in many shows last year. At first, the focus was mainly on photography and documentary video, much of which was hastily produced and roughly finished. Now that enough time has passed for sophistication and deeper, more alluring forms of art to take root, another wave of artistry is coming our way. One example is the recent exhibition of the work of Ahmad Shiha, "Egypt First", which was held at the Salah Taher Hall Of the Cairo Opera House from 11 to 22 February. The exhibition featured 35 paintings and coloured reliefs summarising what has been happening in Tahrir Square, and indeed across the country, over the past year. Shiha, a well-established sculptor and painter known for his extensive knowledge of the history of Egyptian and oriental art, has produced work that resonates with the theme of resistance. In one piece after another he pays homage to the martyrs who fell during and after the revolution, and reminds us of the massive leap we have all taken. Shiha's artistic sensibilities, and his view of the world, were influenced by his long sojourn abroad and his familiarity with European art. He began his career doing monochromatic paintings against a white background, and from there he proceeded to explore other media and forms of expression, forever looking for the simplicity underneath the complexity, forever searching for the unifying principle behind the multiple appearances. Shiha, who could be said to be infatuated with Egyptian art, often reproduces art that shares this same powerful and yet restrained imagery so singularly embraced by ancient Egyptian murals. In his current work, Shiha combines engraving with painting in reliefs that transcend time and resuscitate the forgotten mantras of our past. In this new work one can see the change that has taken place over the years. It is not hard to detect the religious undertones in Shiha's oeuvre. There is perhaps a subtle current of Sufism where forms combine in spiritual compositions, educating without unnecessary pretence, reassuring without negating the sense of adventure. The spirituality is still there, but there has been a shift in mood and perception. In the older, pharaonic-inspired pieces we come across familiar motifs such as the Eye of Horus, the ankh or key of life, the pyramids and obelisks populating the background, while the foreground is taken up by humans draped in darkness, almost like mummies or robots. The drab colours of his earlier works are gone now, replaced since the 25 January Revolution by joyful compositions in which daily events become greater than life, and the country no longer staid and monotonous, but bursting with energy and newfound purpose. This is no longer the contemplative art that Shiha has so far been known to produce. This is art that aspires for change, espouses action, and cherishes every act of resistance. This is art that entices, provokes, and anticipates.
