CAIRO - They died that their country might be born anew. They gave their blood for Egypt with love.Artists Alaa Taher, Bassem Samir and Hossam Hassan looked into their lenses, only to see hope on the other side. They captured the Revolution, fought by their patriotic contemporaries for a better future. They have captured the transforming events of the past weeks in their own way. Their unique art shows us the beauty, pride and passion of Egypt, a great country with a great people. With their cameras, these three artists dived into the heart of the Revolution, spontaneously capturing the inner soul of the uprising. Every work in the exhibition tells a different part of the same story, under the title ‘For Egypt with Love'. Taher's impressive photos focus on the people protesting in Al Tahrir Square in the sunshine. He has captured their smiley faces, full of determination and hope. Like many Egyptians, Taher risked his life, leaving his family at home and family to take part in the dangerous adventure in Al Tahrir. “I didn't have a clear plan, like the Revolution itself,” Taher, 34, says. “I was inspired by the crowds. The atmosphere was extremely high-spirited. Everyone was optimistic.” Architect and conceptual photographer Bassem Samir, 27, also headed to Al Tahrir, the epicentre of the Revolution, where he was overpowered but inspired by the melancholic scenes. He saw art in the protesters' chants, their graffiti and their rage. Samir started snapping photos right and left, his vision gradually maturing. The colourful revolutionary artwork, the looting, the protests and the frustration all appear in Samir's photos. “My project is ongoing. The country's spirit is boiling and people are expressing their feelings on walls and on the ground too, all over the country. Things are changing every day. The Revolution has also brought artistic freedom.” Hossam Hassan was also inspired by the Revolution. Shooting uncontrollably, he found it hard to stop taking pictures. “My photographs are like pieces of a puzzle, creating an ultimately revealing composition,” Hassan, 32, says. “The experience was extremely spontaneous.” The whole country was in a state of chaos, something impossible to catch in a single photo. Because of that, Hassan's photos are combinations of many different shots. “I used digital art and mixed media to create a visual map that captures the essence of what happened,” he says. “It was challenging gathering different stories into one picture. We captured the revolutionary feelings through art.” The exhibition, a collaborative effort by these three young promising talents (not all of whom have exhibited before), is being held at Safarkhan Art Gallery, 6 Brazil St., Zamalek (2735-3314). It's open daily from 10am to 2pm and 5pm to 9pm, except on Sundays, running until April 8. All the proceeds will go to charity.
