Yesterday saw the launch of Sam Flores' latest art exhibition--The Weight: A Golden Soul--at Amuse, Cairo's self-styled "lifestyle concept" store. The event was sponsored exclusively by the Articulate Baboon art gallery. Flores is an American artist who has made a name for himself in the modern art movement with his innovative paint designs and interior décor pieces. In his new collection, Flores introduces a number of graffiti-art paintings, a contemporary technique that is still relatively new to Egypt. “Opening Egyptians' eyes to new tastes in art is our main aim,” said Omar Ozalp, one of the owners of Articulate Baboon. Ozalp explained that most local art galleries fear taking the risk of introducing modern art styles. "But Egyptians, especially the younger generation, welcome new perspectives,” he added, pointing to the success enjoyed by a recent art exhibition by Palestinian artist Laila Shawa at the gallery's main branch in Sheikh Zayed. “We decided to repeat this successful experience with Flores, whose lowbrow street art has grabbed the attention of people all over the world,” said gallery owner Adam Mourad. Egypt represents a new destination for Flores, who has already left his stamp on the art scene in the US, Singapore, Italy, France, Japan and Germany. The exhibition features 11 new paintings, for which Flores drew much of his inspiration from Egyptian history and tradition during his first visit to the country in January. “I always absorb my surroundings, but I like to represent a kind of vague image,” Flores said. "I didn't want it to be like the kind of art that everyone uses, such as an old man with a shisha pipe or a camel beside the pyramids. I wanted the outcome to be influenced with my own twist.” Gathering of the Gods, one of Flores' paintings, portrays various deities of the pharaonic era, including a lioness, a crocodile, a hawk, a tiger, and a beautiful woman sporting a pharaonic crown. But what really distinguishes Flores' artwork is his depiction of Egypt from a subjective perspective. This is particularly conspicuous in his paintings featuring a female figure with Egyptian characteristics in his Inner Fatma and Lady Fatma paintings 1 and 2. The collection also includes tables ornamented in a pharaonic motif, accompanied by two flat chairs of dark wood and toys shaped like dragons. “I've always wanted to visit Egypt," the artist concluded. "So when I heard that a gallery was opening here that would exclusively showcases this kind of art, I seized the opportunity to be the first to introduce this new pattern to the country.” Articulate Baboon plans to display the same collection at Designopolis, Egypt's biggest furnishings and design center, in mid-December. The display is expected to include three new paintings, which Flores is now in the process of completing. Amuse Lifestyle Concept Store Address: 15 Ismail Mohamed St., Borg Jeddah, Zamalek Tel: +2 (02) 27372344/5 Articulate Baboon art gallery Address: NK-154, Designopolis KM 38 Cairo/Alex Desert Road, Sheikh Zayed Tel: +2 (010) 1223366 Website: www.articulatebaboon.com E-mail: [email protected]
