Mohammed Sharkawy finds untapped potential while at the Townhouse Gallery CAIRO: El Daba, a term used to describe a four-legged animal that carries objects on its back, also happens to be the creature that is portrayed so uniquely in all of the brightly colored paintings on the walls of the Townhouse Gallery by young artist Mohammed Sharkawy. The exhibit reflects life in Upper Egypt, and the indispensability of animals in the country side. "It has very lively and vivid imagery that pulls you in, but what's really nice is there is this naivety, but behind it is a very deeply thought process and relationship to where he is coming from and his relationship towards what he's looking at . I like it a lot, it is a very refreshing show, says Lebanese artist Lara Baladi, who supports Shawkawy's art. There are two characters in each of the paintings; a farmer and a Daba on a spacious uncluttered canvas. Each painting is dominated by one solid, vivid color, such as green or orange. The simplicity of the exhibition is not the only beauty apparent, however, as the account of the artist is equally awe-inspiring. Sharkawy was born in Naga Hamadi, Upper Egypt, and came to the Townhouse Gallery in 2000 looking for a simple help job and still unaware of his artistic talents. Two years later, while he was in charge of opening and closing the door of a workshop for the children of Sudanese refugees, led by established artist and professor at the American University in Cairo Huda Lutfi, he got his first artistic urge. Lutfi encouraged Sharkawy to join the workshop. "I had never taken part in anything art related before. I ended up doing seven pieces but I wasn't allowed to display them as the exhibition was for the Sudanese children, but later William hung them up in his office and they were all sold, explain Sharkawy. William Wells is the founder of the Townhouse Gallery, and says that any of Sharkawys paintings he put up received immediate reactions and were instantly sold. "If you had seen his first paintings - that are very strong - he has taken it and turned the narrative into an analytical look of the animals in the village, how they are used ... It was thought out really really carefully, says Wells. Sharkawy began working on this collection about nine months ago when Wagida, a Bahraini artist who came as a resident at the Gallery, encouraged him to use her working space to paint. She taught him new techniques in drawing and painting. Sharkawy's paintings are contemporary, and the Daba is always abstract, so it is not defined as one specific animal. "I wanted it to be open for interpretation for everyone's own imagination, he says. When looking at the painting you realize that there are stories, as the art work is connected. One room holds four paintings, which tell the classic Egyptian tale of Goha and his donkey, where all of the people of the village laugh at him because his son is riding the donkey and he is walking, because he is riding it and his son is walking and so on, until Goha ends up carrying the donkey. This is a modern age version created in Sharkawy's personal style. Today, along with his own art, Sharkawy works at the Townhouse Gallery as assistant librarian. He also leads an animation workshop for working children where they draw pieces, cut them out and create animation. "I think he will definitely continue (as an artist). I think he feels comfortable with his style and I think it is something he enjoys to do . I have always loved them; you don't often see painting that have this feel to it, they are very refreshing, says Clair Davies, curator of the gallery. El Daba exhibition by Mohamed El Sharkawy is showing at the Townhouse Gallery, 10 Nabrawy St., Downtown.
