An exhibition of works by Dr. Sherif Nashed took place at Ziab Bakir Hall of the Cairo Opera House, between 5 and 10 June. Titled 'Nature', the exhibition presented Nashed's drawings on glass/mosaic in addition to a few acrylic paintings by his 16-year-old daughter, Karen. Having spent years in Canada and France and returning to Egypt only four years ago, this is the first time for Nashed to showcase his art to a large public of busy capital. He revealed to Ahram Online that art has fascinated him since a very young age, and now he parallels his day job as an ophthalmology surgeon with this creative passion. "I was first introduced to drawing on glass by a schoolteacher. Ever since then, I have been practicing this art form and it became my main hobby," Nashed said. Nashed does not have an academic background in arts, and he took a short course on mosaic, yet his passion and self-development led to the creation of many artworks which, until the 'Nature' exhibition, he kept in his home, clinic, or shared with friends. work by Dr. Sherif Nashed Throughout the years, he also experimented with oils, charcoal, and a bit of sculpting, yet it is mosaic and painting on glass that speaks to him the most. The exhibition presented Nashed's encounters with nature, his favorite theme. "I like to watch everything around me and then I translate it to art. I combine birds, trees, landscapes, and other elements I find in nature. I observe what surrounds me and translate it into art. I never repeat my works, each is unique in its own way," he reminisces. Nashed is among numerous medicine practitioners who find their refuge in art. Though apparently very different, both fields meet on numerous levels; for example, medicine and art require great observational skills and on point critical thinking, they both rely on brain centres that focus on details and correlation. Moreover, art helps one to look at life from a variety of perspectives, as well as cultivate compassion, one of the key virtues in medicine. "Eye surgeons must excel in precision," Nashed comments. "It is in mosaic and painting on glass that I find my world; this is where precision meets many emotions, resulting with this creative work. I always like to look outside the box; I play with different objects," he explained, giving examples of home items, like a table, that he would renovate using his creative skills. Nashed adds that, like him, his daughter Karen is not linked to art academically, yet she enjoys painting. The exhibition presented four of her works, where her acrylics shifted between nature and surrealist portraits. Work by Karen Sherif For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture
