Abdel Malak’s curiosity is only matched by his intrepid nature in being willing to constantly experiment with new materials and modes of expression in his craft.
Karim Abdel Malak is a graduate of the Faculty of Fine Arts, Minya University, where he specialized in graphic design. He has been an integral part of the Safarkhan family since 2016, and prior to this he embarked on his artistic journey as an illustrator for several local magazines, whilst also refining his passion for sculpting. Abdel Malak had enjoyed a fair amount of exposure for his art abroad, in 1993 he was decorated with the silver medal in the Shanker’s World Association international competition in India. He began exhibiting in Egypt in 2001 and has held various exhibitions across the country, most notably with a consignment of his works selected by the Ministry of Culture to be exhibited at Cairo’s Museum of Modern Art.
Abdel Malak’s mixed media medium and generally subdued palette with its organic tones has earned him an ardent following in Egypt, and he has also demonstrated proficiency in wire sculpture work which he unveiled in his latest exhibition. Abdel Malak’s brand of mixed media art combines elements of graphic design with traditional acrylic painting. His multiple exhibitions with Safarkhan have since seen his art exposed to a wide audience which have been overwhelmingly receptive to his contemporary style; he now enjoys recognition as one of Egypt’s most promising young talents.
The thematic elements of Abdel Malak’s canvases focus predominantly on aspects of femininity including; beauty and grace, freedom and oppression, motherhood and sisterhood, empowerment and struggle. He often employs symbolic imagery with inherent spiritual meanings, which accompany the figurines in his works, usually women resplendent in flowing robes and with refined features, to convey a certain visual and notional message in each piece. Abdel Malak’s curiosity is only matched by his intrepid nature in being willing to constantly experiment with new materials and modes of expression in his craft.