“I saw movement, a heart beating on every street corner. The faces and shapes of Egypt are synonymous with inspiration,” says artist Alyaa Kamel, exhibiting at Safar Khan Art Gallery this month. Every once in a while, you look at a painting, or stand before a sculpture and catch it in motion. Medium, concept and colour occasionally combine to create a piece that is far from stagnant; it plays with your senses, and evokes unavoidable movement. This month, at the dainty Safar Khan Art gallery in Zamalek, artwork moves. Alyaa Kamel exhibits a seemingly endless collection of miniature paintings that represent Egyptians caught in different positions, their contrasting personas emphasised by the artist's deliberate lines. Her extensive collection is a personal account of the revolution, through which the artist aims to send “a message of hope and beauty,” she tells Ahram Online. Kamel studied art and design in London and Geneva, but started painting in Cairo, drawing inspiration from the city and its people. She works with a variety of media, including acrylic and ink, as well as less commonly used ones such as sand, crystals, and plastic. Despite the sheer number of showcased pieces, they are each different. Kamel's subjects are at times shy, arrogant, or seemingly irritated. But they all possess strong characteristics relayed through the profuse lines on the Kamel's postcards. Alyaa Kamel remembers and relays emotions she has seen materialised on Egyptian faces throughout the years, and especially during the overwhelmingly emotional uprising, “where the vast spectrum of human emotions were put centre-stage,” she says. The artist describes the revolution as “an explosion of life: resentment, tears, and laughter.” The artist is able to create life in red and black ink. “Art is a medium for showing the intricacies of a persona, the momentary reality through the eyes of an artist,” she says, revealing the storytelling aspect of her work. In this exhibition, Kamel attempts to depict the reality of millions of Egyptians going through change. Her lines do not stand still, in an unruly manner they twist and run wild; her characters have a life of their own, inspired by the faces of Egyptians. “I saw movement, a heart beating on every street corner,” Kamel says. And such movement is recreated in her artwork. Kamel believes paper and ink have become her voice; black pen and red ink express a conversation of change, and a message of hope. “My hand moves on paper and with a few lines I bring to life the men, women and children I see in the streets of my mind, my Cairo, my Egypt,” she explains. The artist clearly feels a surge of inspiration after a revolution shook the country to the core. “I faced change in a world that was stagnant,” she in a sentiment shared by millions. Gamal Meleka's sculptures are downright revolutionary. Larger than life wire sculptures hang around the gallery's corners with seemingly endless chords and large eyes. Two of his avant-garde sculptures carry metal rods and are draped with fabric dipped in white paint. The sculptures are dancing - or at least they seem to be. The Egyptian-born artist lived in Italy for years, blending both cultures to create original artwork. Meleka has explored a variety of techniques, applying enthusiasm to create art that has the ability to intrigue and entertain. Path of Hope, which combines two Egyptian artists from different generations, runs until 28 October at Safar Khan Art Gallery, 6 Brazil Street, Zamalek, Cairo. Opening hours: Monday through Saturday, 10am - 1:30pm and 5pm - 9pm. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/23645.aspx
