CAIRO: There is always a place for the arts in the crowded streets of Cairo. This week Bikyamasr.com had the pleasure of talking to Rania Teymour, manager of the distinctive antique shop Le Souk and The Gallery and a fashion designer herself. Could you please tell us about Le Souk? When did it open and what was the main concept behind the store at the beginning? Le Souk belongs to the collector Mona Barakat. About 30 years ago Mona started her collection with carpets when suddenly she discovered she had so much stuff she could show to people. The antiques she collects are from all over the world; Iran, France, Germany, England… With these items she wanted to do something with a cultural touch here in Egypt and as a result, one year ago, she opened this shop. Le Souk is a showroom. The idea is to let people see what furniture looks nice together and how it is put together. It is mainly done like an apartment where people can actually see how the items would look like on display. Do you have a typical customer? I cannot say we have a typical customer but most of the times people who buy something from Le Souk are interested the arts; whether collectors or young couples decorating his new house, they want to have a special artistic touch. Now we also have a gift wear section where you can find modern-looking pieces at a more affordable price for all customers who want to make a special gift without spending that much money. After some time you decided to open The Gallery. How are both spaces linked? Yes, about a month ago we opened The Gallery. The Gallery is an extension of Le Souk but also an independent entity. The two spaces have their own spirit; in Le Souk you can find the antiques and in The Gallery, Contemporary Art. In The Gallery we intend to show five exhibitions a year of local artists basically and maybe some others artists from the region. When will we be able to see the new exhibition and whatis it about? The upcoming exhibition is going to be about female figure. It is called “Egyptian Women Through The Looking Prism.” They are eight Egyptian artists who will show their different perceptions about Egyptian women though painting and sculpture. The opening will be on January 22 and the exhibition will be on for a month. The local artists who will present their work at The Gallery are Omar el Nagdy, Mostafa el Azzaz, Abdo Ramzi Rizhallah, Reda Abdelsalam, Mohamed El Tahan, Waled Ebeid, Reem Gamal and Abdelnasser Mohamed al Labban. Le Souk and The Gallery, 6 Salah El Din St., Zamalek BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/29gcb Tags: Cairo, Le Souk, The Gallery, Zamalek Section: Art, Culture, Egypt
