Mohamed Abla studied graphics and sculpture at the Arts and Industries College in Zurich, Switzerland. And so his collaboration with a budding young print artist, Mohamed Abdel-Azeem, came naturally, instinctively and spontaneously. Initially, I did not know what to expect, maybe a gem resembling the works of Katsushika Hokusai, the genius Japanese ukiyo-e painter and printmaker of the Edo era? Or perhaps I was wondering whether I would come face to face with one of the exquisite works of China's Ren Xiong, a member of the famous Shanghai School representing a style of Chinese art that blossomed in the late 19th century during the dying days of the Qing Dynasty? Rembrandt's Self-Portrait etching came to mind. I did not know what to make of what I was confronted with at the exhibition. Yet I was fascinated by the novelty of the creative process. After all, I was looking forward to checking out the collection of rare drawings and paintings by the iconic Abla at Arcade Gallery, Maadi. It was an inaugural exhibition and Abla had previously displayed his works at Safar Khan Gallery, Zamalek, less than a week earlier. He is a prolific painter, but printmaking was something new. And I delved into the unknown. Technically speaking, printmaking is the process of creating artworks by printing. And printmaking is designed to produce multiple impressions. The distinctive print artist's works exude unique qualities that each of the printmaking processes lends itself to. The challenge of Abla's presentation of this onslaught of treasures to the public was mind-boggling. Abdel-Azeem attempts to decipher the unique expression of Mohamed Abla by focusing on one particular woman, a painting, a tour de force. And you will think that she is so sexy, you couldn't begin to explain it. She comes in different shapes, textures and colours. She often appears with seductive feminine breasts, and at times she looks like an androgynous adolescent. Abdel-Azeem's visual rendition of Abla's works were displayed at the Greek Campus, the American University in Cairo, 28 Falaki Street, Bab Al-Louk off Tahrir Square. They were astounding. Most intriguing was Abdel-Azeem's capacity to reinvent Abla's masterpieces. He shoved conventions off his track, and exposed the hidden meaning of Abla's secret world. Only one thing held him, Abla's approval. But Abla readily agreed to Abdel-Azeem's proposal. “I took the permission of my idol, Abla. I adore his art,” Abdel-Azeem says. Abla's works on display in Arcade The show entitled “Dialogue” depicts the rapport between the General Manager of Prohouse advertising and printing agency and the accomplished artist. Abdel-Azeem was enchanted and loved the challenge. He felt its tingling grip, struggling to be good enough to match the master. Mohamed Abla, after all, combines motley techniques such as lithography with canvas paintings, photography with newspaper cutouts, all against a backdrop of heavily relevant political and social commentary. Fascinated by the creative process, I was intrigued by Abdel-Azeem's in-depth focus on this mysterious woman, a figment of Abla's imagination. Prints are created by transferring ink from a matrix or through a prepared screen to a sheet of paper or other material. Matrices come in various textures ranging from metal plates, usually copper or zinc, or polymer plates primarily for engraving or etching to stone, aluminium or polymer for lithography. Many artists are prone to take chances and risk failure. They fear neither gaffes nor goofs. And missteps have never stopped them from making a killing or harvesting a rack-up later. What matters is that they should find a suitable venue to display their talent, flaunt their stuff, so to speak. The enfilade of halls at the Greek Campus offers various retrospectives of viewing the variegated angles of Abla's mysterious woman. The exuberant range of texture and colour is bewildering. Yet coursing under even the most drab colours is a sense of optimism that the next work will be better. I personally am not particularly enthused about greys and beiges. Be that as it may, I was dazzled by sudden bursts of purple, pink, green and blue. To the artist, gold and silver are the symbols of evil. Yet Abla himself differs from Abdel-Azeem in this respect. He deploys gold, copper, platinum and silver to embellish his works and enhance their exuberance and sense of ebullience and exhilaration. Abla's works on display in Arcade Abla's works are a celebration of life, and that was made crystal clear in the selection exhibited in “ONCE” at Arcade Gallery. Abla's memorable paintings such as Women, The Nile and Trees, Cairo City Lights, Fayoum, Cairo Towers and The Family exude immeasurable effervescence. The co-founders of Arcade are Amira Sobeh Elagroudi and Layla Omar El Farouk. They are a diligent and dynamic duo and exceptionally professional women. Amira pursued a career in the corporate world for about 17 years in Egypt, Spain and Italy. She became enchanted with the world of art during her many trips abroad, visiting museums and a variety of art venues in Italy, Spain, Mexico, France, the Netherlands and New York. Layla, the owner and founder of the art centre Place Des Arts, participated in The Popular Show exhibition at the Townhouse and the Artist Exhibition at Art Café.
