SCZONE showcases investment opportunities to eight Japanese companies    Egypt urges Israel to accept Gaza deal amid intensifying fighting    Egypt, ADIB explore strategic partnership in digital healthcare, investment    Egypt's PM meets Tokyo governor, witnesses signing of education agreements    Egypt welcomes international efforts for peace in Ukraine    Al-Sisi, Macron reaffirm strategic partnership, coordinate on Gaza crisis    Egypt's Sisi, France's Macron discuss Gaza ceasefire efforts in phone call    Contact Reports Strong 1H-2025 on Financing, Insurance Gains    Egypt, India's BDR Group in talks to establish biologics, cancer drug facility    AUC graduates first cohort of film industry business certificate    Egypt to tighten waste rules, cut rice straw fees to curb pollution    Indian tourist arrivals to Egypt jump 18.8% in H1-2025: ministry data    Egyptian pound down vs. US dollar at Monday's close – CBE    Egypt prepares unified stance ahead of COP30 in Brazil    Egypt recovers collection of ancient artefacts from Netherlands    Egypt harvests 315,000 cubic metres of rainwater in Sinai as part of flash flood protection measures    Egypt, Namibia explore closer pharmaceutical cooperation    Fitch Ratings: ASEAN Islamic finance set to surpass $1t by 2026-end    Renowned Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim dies at 88    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Egypt's Sisi, Sudan's Idris discuss strategic ties, stability    Egypt to inaugurate Grand Egyptian Museum on 1 November    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Omar El Nagdi: Conversing with the Subconscious
Published in Daily News Egypt on 18 - 03 - 2013

Omar El Nagdi's latest gallery, Impulsive Expressionism II, is currently on display at Al Masar Gallery. The exhibition is filled with colourful paintings that mix a contemporary style with traditional folkloric symbols.
El Nagdi explained his artistic character: “My journey with visual arts started in my childhood, and in 1950 I started to participate in exhibitions. I became a member of the Liberal Artists group, which was headed by its honorary president and dean of Arab Literature [Taha Hussein]. My artistic character developed between the Bab Al She'reya neighbourhood and rural Egypt. The influences of the popular area's noise and the quietness of the rural environment were complete opposites. This affected my artistic personality by making me unable to commit to a certain artistic style."
He added: “My artistic journey was enriched by witnessing the unity of subject, accompanied by different branches of method. I learnt the techniques of Fine Art, Applied Art and artists' supplements, which allowed me to be artistically unique. That is why I was awarded 16 local and international prizes, and obtained the French Parliament's medal. There is a museum in my name in France, which organises exhibitions all over the country. In the sixties, my work was exhibited with 26 other international artists such as Pablo Picasso, Dali, Claude Monet and other master artists of the 19th century. I formed the first Egyptian mosaics group in 1964, and afterwards, I formed the Phoenix group. [The Phoenix] is that mythical Arabic bird which does not exist, but soars in every existence…that is visual art."
About the current exhibition he said: “My inspiration for this collection was the East, history, culture and civilisation. I wanted to do an exhibition that includes all the techniques I use in oil painting, etching, sculpture (negative space equation) and mosaic. In oil painting I use [the technique of] the continuous line, from the beginning of the painting till the end. In addition, I use watercolours and the negative space technique in sculpture, which affected many people. My certificate of creation for this technique is with critic Hussein Ameen Bikar."
One of the techniques that caught our eye in some of his paintings was how he created a sculpture effect. He says this technique is called “the fifth dimension theory, which handles the process of transforming this philosophical dimension into a mathematical one, which can be measured".
“I use sculpture painting in some of my oil paintings, [with it] I am teasing the viewer. You can do whatever you want as long as you do not alienate the viewer. The last painting, the Golden Bird or Chess, is a check-mate game, in which the black and white kings are gray, and the golden bird is a paradise Curlew, crooning via the melodies of the flute. Its singing is a form of worship or prayer for the people in the artwork," El Nagdi said.
El Nagdi describes his current working method as “Zero Existence". He explains this means “the moment the artist catches his breath when a sudden event is born". El Nagdi continues: “At that moment, inspirational subconscious laws rise from the depths in the unconscious state of the self.
This allows the unconscious to bestow [inspiration] which then multiplies in light, darkness and colours while the artist is still in a state of unconsciousness. So he finds himself inside unfamiliar formulas in a flash, shorter than lightening, in one blinding moment; one that is filled with inspirational fountains, which include the irrefutable absolute. This settles in the artist's arsenal, which he can summon whenever he wants.
At the same moment, the artist exchanges a hidden conversation with the sudden event. This is the inspiration that is proclaimed in a phenomenon, and which is hidden in its core. Hence, the subconscious meets the conscious so the creative phenomenon shines in a beautiful work of art."


Clic here to read the story from its source.