“The Women of My World”, is the latest exhibition of paintings by Britt Boutros Ghali currently on show at Picasso gallery located in Zamalek. Best known for her vibrant, colourful and energetic paintings, Ghali is as enigmatic as she is revered, and is considered as one of the important Norwegian artists of this century. Steeped in the early influences of abstract expressionism, she studied painting and sculpture at the hands of Ellen Christensen and Ferdinand Lunde in Oslo in the late 1950's. Her earliest work displayed at Galerie de L'Université in Paris in 1965. Ghali participated in the Abstract Expressionist movement in Europe in the 60's and 70's, and is still driven these early influences. She has exhibited internationally throughout her career. Her work is widely collected in both public and private collections worldwide. In 1996, she was awarded the Saint Olav's Order, the highest honour given to an artist, by King Haakon of Norway, for promoting her country through her art abroad. Ghali was born in 1937 in Svolvaer, northern Norway where the saturation of light in the summer "the northern lights" followed by the lack of light all winter, total darkness even as the harsh weather and daunting pressure of World War II was endured. This emotional backdrop provided a fertile landscape for her bursting colorful and emotional work. The artist has spent the last 30 years in Egypt. Egypt's rich environment with its miscellaneous palette of colours has been a great influence in her work. Her studio is located on the exotic banks of the River Nile and serves as a cultural salon, not only for the local artists to meet, but also for people who travel from afar to see, purchase and collect her work. The exhibition runs through 26 November.
