Cala Art Gallery: Group Exhibition

Behind artist Mostafa Gebril’s wide smile and twinkling eyes, there is a hint of pain.   This Palestinian-born painter, who relocated to Cairo in 1966 and hasn’t been home in thirteen years, aches for the plight of his fellow nationals. His connection to their stories is the inspiration behind his current exhibition entitled A Drop of Water on This Flower, currently showing at El Sawy Culturewheel. Mostafa Gebril’s path to painting was paved early in life. Born in 1946 to an artistically inclined family, his parents encouraged his creativity and talent. He would later go on to study at the Faculty of Fine Arts, where the artist graduated top of his class in 1972.   Since graduating, Gebril has further developed his politically motivated art, showing in eight collaborative exhibitions and now, in his second solo effort. A Drop of Water on this Flower is an emotional exhibit portraying figures and scenes of Palestinian suffering. Gebril utilizes several mediums in each of his works, combining print-making, oil, acrylic and scraping to achieve an intricate, layered effect that’s representative of the complex issues facing Palestinians and the resulting associated emotions. The heartbreak of his subjects is evident; themes of violence and imprisonment are present throughout the exhibit. However, a sense of hope and determination prevails in his work. A warm embrace between mother and child, a flower, even splashes of bright colours prove that the artist is able to find beauty in the world despite such tragic conditions. Mostafa Gebril was kind enough to stroll through the exhibit with us and speak about a few of his works. A piece entitled Martyred Mona Lisa immediately caught our attention. The eye is first drawn to the lower corner, where Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is used to portray iconic feminine beauty. Above her, a veiled woman holding a mirror stretches her head up to the sky. The main subject represents a Palestinian ‘everywoman,’ sacrificing superficial pleasure and vanity for lasting beauty and peace. The splendour of her sacrifice in the eyes of the artist makes this woman a real-life Mona Lisa.   A clear message is found in another work, entitled Passport. A figure holds a Palestinian refugee passport with an outstretched arm that spans the length of the painting. A censer with billowing smoke seems to burn the arm of the subject, representing the treatment of Palestinians by the Arab World. Along the top of the man’s arm, a row of flags from around the globe represents the world’s response of simply watching while the situation worsens. A Drop of Water on This Flower will hold different meaning for every viewer, especially in light of its political nature. Undoubtedly, some may be moved by these images, while others may find the art rather trite. However, there is no doubt that the paintings are visually stimulating and filled with meaning. The exhibit is showing at El Sawy Culturewheel’s World Hall, but only until July 19th; so be sure to check it out soon.

Most of Cairo’s art galleries are tucked away in the shady streets of Zamalek, taking sanctuary on the quieter side of town to examine the delicacies of Cairo’s visual art scene. Mashrabia Gallery, on the other hand, sits just off from the Egyptian Museum in Downtown. This month, the gallery has taken another step closer into the darkest depths of the city centre with new exhibition, ‘Journey Around my Living Room’ by Hala Elkoussy, which takes a camera lens to the gritty intricacies of Downtown.

The exhibition's creation in the spring of 2012 was an attempt to draw the world’s eyes away from the abrasive images of this city in the media, and refocus attention on the overlooked nooks of calm. Entering the exhibition, visitors will find a wardrobe with its three thick wooden doors left ajar, as if it’s just been ransacked and abandoned in a flustered hurry. Peeking inside the doors, we found a jumble of forgotten junk; stacks of newspapers, hand-written notes and sepia photos are the most discernable. This introduction to the exhibition serves to remind viewers that they are entering a personal and subjective interpretation of a city and a home.

On Elkoussy’s journeys around Downtown as a street photographer, the artist attempted to capture the area in all its ramshackle glory; although the objects pictured are often broken, they retain dignity and beauty in their serene composition. Anyone who is even a little bit familiar with the intricacies of Egyptian culture will recognise the images displayed, as most depict common domestic imagery found throughout Egypt, such as abandoned chairs, the patterned oilcloth of street café tables and stray dogs. There are also a few shots that pay homage to hidden gems of the city such as its embattled plant life or detailed embellishments on a chair frame, all signifying the dusty beauty of the area.

All the objects have an antique, almost sepia hue to them, which represents Downtown perfectly. The show makes no mention of popular spots, the booming nightlife or the many cafés that have undeniably become part of the city. The artist instead presents a version of Downtown through sentimental remembrance, eternalised in a shabby-chic faded memory; one that cannot comprehend its current modernity.

In another city, this show would pit a powerful punch to those of us prone to nostalgia, but in the very city it represents, it's a refreshing readjustment of our perception of Downtown. The exhibition reminds us that we sometimes need a different perspective to fully appreciate the city in which we live. The crux of this exhibition is its ability to put down on paper the parts of Downtown which we catch in the corner of our eye, but don't focus on amid the clatter of human life, traffic and a revolution. Cairo is near impossible to distil into a frozen image, but the attempts to do so here remind us to take a step back, and apply a keener eye to what lies below the overt commotion.