New work by Mohie El Din Hussein's is on display at the Zamalek Art Gallery's Venue II under the title Ceramics. The gallery hosted the last retrospective of Hussein's work in 2015. Among the icons of the art of Egyptian ceramics since the 1960s, Hussein contributed to forging the modern identity of this craft, which had sunk into oblivion for centuries in Egypt. He played a significant role as the founder and Director of the Cairo International Biennale for Ceramics and the National Clay Forum. He became a mentor for many young artists. He mastered the use of both old and contemporary ceramic techniques, which led him to create particularly unique pieces. His distinctive style of exploration of form and colour brought ceramics to the forefront of the plastic arts movement. Ceramics focuses on how a naturally static material can be fluid and versatile like paint. Hussein uses a combination of ceramics, glass and paint in a special formula of glazing and heat fusion, resulting in controlled experiments of landscape and nature representation. A sculptor at heart, he experiments with ceramics and three dimensional forms to create “sculptural reliefs”, artworks of elevated texture and contrasting colours. Nature is the main theme of his artworks, with a deep study of birds and fish that are both full of colour and movement. His unique ceramic three-dimensional of landscapes and trees make a fresh reappearance, in larger sizes and more complex compositions. In Ceramics, this peerless ceramist also introduces portraits reminiscent of the Fayoum portraits, but with a modern tone. The exhibition will remain on view until 11 October.
