This summer collective, following on from previous iterations with a new thematic twist, focuses on our crop of established contemporary talents and is supplemented by a selection of works from promising young artists whom we consider part of Safarkhan’s extended family, and ones whose art we believe, various factors permitting, have the innate potential to mature with the prospects of becoming a regular fixture in the future.
As is customary at Safarkhan, and after the powerful conclusion of our regular season with a one-of-a-kind commemorative centennial collection and homage to Egypt’s foremost artist-activist Inji Efflatoun (1924-1989), the very first of our Safarkhan Anthology series will run from June 14 to September 14. This summer collective, following on from previous iterations with a new thematic twist, focuses on our crop of established contemporary talents and is supplemented by a selection of works from promising young artists whom we consider part of Safarkhan’s extended family, and ones whose art we believe, various factors permitting, have the innate potential to mature with the prospects of becoming a regular fixture in the future. This collection has been curated with a loose unifying concept in mind that is the reinvigorating burst of sunshine that we elate in after winter’s chill. This sensation is mirrored in the stimulation that emanates from these artworks, and the diverse assortment of works we have collated embody such an energy, to certain extents and each in their own unique way.
Egypt’s leading abstract talent, Ahmed Farid, is of course a staple in every summer show we host, and this inaugural Safarkhan Anthology series is no exception. We have a freshly executed pair of works by marquee talent Ibrahim Khatab, whose layered and textured canvases are chemically treated, engendering an incomparable aesthetic that has earned him legions of admirers internationally. Khatab also showcases for the first time here a new direction that advances his abstraction by elevating the discarded posters, cutouts and newspapers that he uses, ingeniously transforming them from the concealed foundational elements of his canvases, to the focal ones. Ahmed Gaafary features with some accomplished new work, an exciting preview in anticipation of what is due to come from him. Likewise, a pair of new creations from Omar Abdel Zaher, these large scale works spotlight rural life and the infectious joie de vivre of Egypt’s countryside communities with such intimacy. Karim Abd Elmalak’s sultry figurines dazzle in a soothing monotone palette with a discreet seductive quality he excels at portraying. Alexandrian born Armenian sculptor Sarkis Toossonian contributes a pair of towering bronze busts conceived in his signature turquoise green-hued metal with lustrous gold accents. We also feature some standout works from several of the exhibitions hosted over the past season, amongst them some enrapturing fabric applique tapestries by the inimitable Neama El Sanhoury and Ashraf El Zamzami’s raw art brut oils. Also, some contrasting – in medium, style and substance – miniatures from Safarkhan pair Katherine Bakhoum and Tasneem El Meshad.
In terms of the supporting cast of artists accompanying these works, we have a variety of painting styles that we will be displaying throughout summer from budding artists who we believe represent the promise of Egyptian youth. Headlining these, a magnificent sprawling work from Fatma Omran, who deftly combines her faithful renditions of Farsi figures and script, with her own brand of compositional flair, and a masterful anatomical precision of animal life, in this case the majestic horse. Fayoum native Mohamed Hussein’s semi-abstract amalgamations of landscape and still life aspects of Egyptian setting and life resonate in a cultured palette of earthy tones that belie the artist’s tender age and self-taught beginnings. Yasmine Hassan, present in our previous two summer exhibitions, again plays a part with her paintings of the familiar summer motif of cacti, which she characteristically imbues with spots of a white adhesive paste to impressively replicate their spiny, prickly and undulating surfaces. Ghaidaa Ashraf’s entangling abstraction, Ahmed Yousry’s imaginative representation of peculiar dwellings, Rana Chalabi’s whimsical whirling dervishes, and Salah Boutros’ vibrant Cairene market scenes, offer quality yet accessible forms of art that complete this season’s anthology. We hope you have a restful and enjoyable summer, and are eager to welcome you back when our new season opens in October.
