CAIRO - Inspired by colourful India and heavenly Indonesia, young Egyptian photographer Coucla Refaat focuses on these two countries, rich in culture and tradition, in her latest exhibition, ‘Zooming in on Asia'. "My pictures in this exhibition concentrate on the traditions in Indonesia, including temple ceremonies, offerings to the gods, illegal cockfights and, best of all, joyful cremation ceremonies, while those of India document the Kathakali drama dance and rituals of Theyyam, held in Kerala in the south," says Coucla. "There are 42 pictures, all of them 100cmx70cm, so visitors to my exhibition can see the details in each artwork," she told The Egyptian Gazette in an interview. There is an interesting story behind every picture, but the cremation ceremonies in Indonesia have been really special for her. "The thought of seeing a body exhumed and then burnt scared me, as this is something alien to my traditions and religious beliefs. But then I realised I was very lucky to be standing there with my camera, with the opportunity to document something like this," she said, smiling. "Without those very hospitable Balinese people who encouraged me to take these photographs, I would never have capture those amazing moments," she added. Coucla started specialising in travel documentaries in late 2008. In 2009, she visited Kerala and the fruit of her visit was her exhibition, ‘The Art of the Kathakali & Rituals of the Theyyam'. Held in Cairo, her exhibition won her the title of Egypt's first Egyptian artistic/documentary photographer. She has also travelled to the beautiful Island of Bali in Indonesia to document the religious ceremonies, including cremations, of the people there. In September last year, Coucla reached the top of Africa as part of the Right to Climb Expedition, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro for charity, raising awareness for the mentally challenged in Egypt. Last year, she earned the title ‘Ambassador of Arts' for her ‘Pulau Dewata' photographic exhibition at the Indonesian Embassy in Cairo. "My dream is to conquer the world! I want to travel the globe and experience much, so I can do more exhibitions and achieve my dream of publishing a book about my travels. Nothing is impossible," the 26-year-old photographer said. Coucla's exhibition, ‘Zooming in on Asia' being held in Gezira Art Centre, 1 el-Marsafi St., Zamalek. The exhibition runs until December 11 and is open daily (except for next Friday) from 10am-2pm and 5-9pm.
