A retrospective exhibition commemorates the 100th birth anniversary of artist Sayed Abdel-Rasoul (1917-1995) was opened on 18 April at Horizon One hall. Abdel-Rasoul is one of the pioneers of the "popular" school, led by artist Ragheb Ayad. The artist discovered the symbols and motifs of this art through his contemplation of folk art as the source of his inspiration in the early years of his artistic life, which he built himself. He is a self-made artist who joined the free section in the Faculty of Fine Arts in Cairo, where he stayed from 1942 to 1946 and then obtained the internal scholarship at Luxor Atelier to study ancient Egyptian art, where he stayed in the studio three years living amid the relics of the ancient Egyptian civilization, he spent the winter and autumns of each year in the studio and in summers and springtime he headed for Fatimid Cairo. He was eager to resume his studies and sought to reach the origins of the folk arts derived from customs, rituals, legends and magic. He resolved the conflict between the spontaneity of the senses and the static concept that imposes the inertia, but he resurrected it. In 1958, Abdel-Rasoul received the State Encouragement Award for his painting Sabahia, the day after the wedding. He represents the peasants of the village in their bright folk clothes with abstract inscriptions while carrying water jars and breakfast and flowers and roses for the newly-wed bride. The form of the characters was meant to get away from the strict stylistic order of ancient Egyptian art made this unique painting worthy of attention, and allowed Abdel-Rasoul to enter the world of the veteran Egyptian artists and professors. The exhibition runs through 18 May.
