SAMIR Rafie, an Egyptian pioneer in modern art, died years ago. But his works bear witness to an exceptionally innovative talent. This talent was the talk of many people in the opening of Rafie's latest gallery, which started on January 24 at the Picasso Art Gallery in Zamalek. The gallery, which contains 64 of Rafie's finest paintings, is an exquisite dialogue between the dead and the alive, as one gallery visitor put it. On the walls, there are several paintings, which mixes man and animal in one and the same frame. One painting shows the face of an ancient Egyptian under that of a dog. Both faces seemed to embrace each other in a show of affinity that left large space for the analyst and the admirer t speak volumes about the relationship between man and animal. The dog's eyes, however, assume a scary red that adds a mysterious touch to the painting. Born in 1926 in Cairo, Rafie was the kind of painter did not miss the chance of honing his skill of specialised academic studies. He got a Bachelor's Degree in fine arts in 1948. He travelled to France and got a PhD from the Sorbone years later. The paintings represents various stages of Rafie's artistic career. There are ones he painted at the early stages of his career, while others represents the peak of his talent. Another painting delves deep into the relationship between man and animal even more. It shows a deer giving a woman passionate kiss on the cheek. The woman's left eye is red as well, adding yet more complexity to the scene. There is enough surrealism in Rafie's drawings. Lines overlap and colours mix, giving vigour and authenticity to the paintings, which do not fail to draw admiration from the visitors of the gallery. Rafie occupied several leading positions in Algeria. He also lectured Algerian students on the history of art. His works appeared solely in several exhibitions, from 1945 to 1953, as well as the works of other artists. His works appeared at the Bar Association in 1987 and at the Alexandria Library in 2006, two years after his death. Rafie's exhibition runs until February 10. Picasso Art Gallery: 30 Hassan Assem Street, off El-Brazil Street, Zamalik. www.picassoartgallery-egypt.com.
