Tossoonian's and Louis' works engender an enchanting and timeless quality belonging to no specific age or culture, this ironically, despite being significantly influenced by a multitude of them, drawing upon influences and inspiration from; Coptic, Greco-Roman, Arabian and Egyptian, both modern and ancient, in their composition.
As our sole sculpture exhibition this season, Safarkhan will again be the proud exhibitors for the alluring and thought-provoking work by accomplished Alexandrian duo, Sarkis Tossoonian and Alfonse Louis, from Tuesday 7 to Wednesday 29 March. This pair are intensely devoted to their craft and each holds his own personal approach to this indispensable and challenging, both practically and observationally, art form. Louis has recently emerged from a two year hiatus, and owing to the sheer complexity and brilliance of his recent works, it is clear that this period of introspection has worked wonders for his creative output. His counterpart’s steadfast commitment to his telltale bronze figures, spanning diverse proportions, has long cemented his place as one of Egypt’s foremost sculptors of metal. His and Louis' works engender an enchanting and timeless quality belonging to no specific age or culture, this ironically, despite being significantly influenced by a multitude of them, drawing upon influences and inspiration from; Coptic, Greco-Roman, Arabian and Egyptian, both modern and ancient, in their composition.
Tossoonian’s predilection for sculpting feminine forms mystifies not only in its compositional ingenuity, but also in its ability to offer the viewer a wholesome interpretation of different types of female incarnations and prowess. Be they delicately poised ballerinas, austere scholars, regally cloaked dames, solemn yet self-assured faces, crowned royalty, women in possession of cryptic objects, or winged goddesses signifying emancipation. Tossoonian achieves this in his signature treated bronze, with its muted dark green luster, a remarkable shade known to offer connotations of transition, naturalness, wealth, ambition, and tranquility. It is ultimately symbolic of the both the former and latter in tandem, the transition to tranquility. Indeed, almost every one of his bronze maidens are demonstrative of this characteristic, whether it is through their expressions, often intentionally absent of fine detailing, which attributes them an irresistibly enigmatic appeal, or through their positions, attire, or the objects they are fused together with. Accentuating this refined dark green, which is evident in several slightly varying tones, Tossoonian’s other signature of dazzling gold bands adorn and beautify each of these figures in different ways. Not only do these gold streaks provide a charming contrast in tone and texture, they also reflect and signify notions of generosity, compassion and most notably, the power of the divine, which we feel the artist has sought to and succeeded in, emanating from each of his stoic heroines.
Louis has produced a selection of five works, and both their painstaking execution and inimitable composition more than makes up for their limited numbers. What Louis demonstrates a clear mastery of, which few other sculptors can attain, is his ability to mix, match and meld a diverse assortment of mediums in synergy with one another. This awesome amalgamation of materials encompasses; wood, colored beads, glass, bronze, mosaics, straw, paint and gold leaf, which the artist marries together through a comprehensive and laborious creative process that involves a myriad of techniques including; carving, etching, chiseling, soldering, affixing, embellishing and painting. It is for this ingenious multifaceted compositional style that we believe Louis’s vaunted place amongst contemporary Egyptian sculpture is undisputed. Primarily a woodworker, Louis’s creations are always unconventional, but they are so without being alienating to the viewer. Instead, their unusualness is captivating, as Louis plunges us into a fantastical world filled with gallant gazelles frolicking; the piercing and almost cavernous gaze of Fayoum portraiture; consecrated Coptic scripture, angelic saints and cherubs in a melodic harmony; and mysterious creatures like the diminutive yet formidable forest gnome, said to guard the earth’s treasures in an underground lair. All of this he complements with a melange of materials, from door hinges attributing his work actual physical dynamism, to delicately arranged wisps of sheet metal, mosaics and beading to create wreaths, mimic foliage and decorate his semi-manipulated wooden beams.
