Several prominent artists display their work in one collection CAIRO: "The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls, said the legendary Pablo Picasso, some time ago. The galleries usually take the slow month of August, when their regular patrons and visitors are usually escaping the city heat, to exhibit a collection of art from a group of artists. And you should definitely pay a visit to the Zamalek Art Gallery, and take in their summer exhibition, Masterpieces IV. It is a collection of some of the most prominent artists on the scene. Abdel Rahman El-Nachar: He obtained his Ph.D. in art from the Budapest Art Academy in 1978. In the early stages of his artistic career, El-Nachar depicted themes that adhere to reality and everyday life through a combination of both expressionism and surrealism. Before his demise in 1999, El-Nachar ventured into the realm of Islamic art, a primary medium of geometric abstraction. Farghali Abdel Hafiz: Born in Dairout, Middle Egypt, in 1941 and a graduate of the Institute of Art Education and the Academy of Fine Art in Florence, he was elected Dean of the Faculty of Art Education in 1989 until 1994, and ever since has been a faculty professor. His brushstrokes are always spontaneous, underlying his bold and daring personality; and his choice of colors never stops developing. He has experimented with different media including oil, watercolors, pencils, acrylics, corn stalk, sand, mud, clay and metals. Gazbia Sirry: Born in Cairo, Gazbia Sirry studied fine arts and became a professor at the painting department for the Faculty of Art at Helwan University. Sirry is considered one of the leading Egyptian artists, with a varied and innovative career spanning more than 50 years. Hamed Oweiss: Born in Beni Sueif he is a leading pioneer artist. Oweiss, a strong believer that revolutionary ideology should be reflected in art, devoted himself to the Cairo ambiance of 1946, when revolutionary ideas were being shaped. Eventually, his work became the expression of his own devotion to the Revolution. Mohamed Abla: Born in Mansoura, Egypt, Abla spent seven years in Europe, after graduating from the faculty of fine arts in Alexandria. His continuous travel has provided him with broad exposure to the international art scene and a chance to study and exhibit at European galleries. The Nile and the environment are the main themes in Abla's art, whether using graphics, installation or oil paintings. Mostafa Abdel Moity: Born in Alexandria, he received his degree from the Academy of Fine Arts in Alexandria in 1962, and became a professor at the faculty. He is one of the founders of the Experimental Group created in 1958. The artist's latest work is abstract and characterized by aggressive bold lines of color, underlined by the expert use of shade and light that gives depth and meaning to his canvas. Rabab Nemr: Nemr graduated from the faculty of fine arts in Alexandria in 1963 and later earned a doctoral in art from the San Fernando Academy, University of Madrid, in 1977. She is a member of the Syndicate of Fine Artists, the Cairo Atelier, and the Alexandria Atelier. She has been department director for the plastic arts at the cultural palaces in Alexandria. Zeinab Al-Sageny: Born in Cairo, Al-Sageny graduated from the faculty of fine arts and later earned her Ph.D. in art education from Helwan University in 1978. Al-Sageny's art is unique, featuring human subjects, with figures of mother and child representing the main elements in her work. They play a major role in expressing feelings of innocence, love and generosity. Her setting is Egypt: the Nile, the mountains, the beach. In fact, Al-Sageny's ancestral culture, with her inherited roots, emphasizes her Egyptian identity. Masterpieces IV is on till the end of August at the Zamalek Art Gallery, 11 Brazil Street, Zamalek.
