The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

More often than not, the most memorable artworks of any exhibition are the larger ones; it could be the feeling of awe these works impose on the viewer, who, as if in alarm, comes to a halt and takes a few seconds to pay respect to the patience, diligence and skill of the artist.

Because an unsuspecting viewer may not know that a small artwork can be equally captivating, Zamalek’s Picasso Art Gallery decided to celebrate smaller artworks in a group exhibition named 1st Annual Small Works, presenting collections of several Egyptian artists, including Mostafa Rahma, Assem Abdel Fattah, Aya El Fallah, to name a few.

Untied to a certain concept, the exhibition invites the viewer to relive the enjoyment with which each artist created a collection of pieces that records his/her favourite subject, material and style; from Britt Botrous Ghali’s knife-painted pieces of scenes depicting a roaring sea of blue and green that can only be found in a dream, to the portraits of Mohammed Rabie, whose colourfulness never disguise the mystery behind the featureless faces of his muse.

And while the previous collections boast simplicity in style, Assem Abdel Fattah’s collection comprised various materials and textures, creating many scenes where a human being relishes on a moment of elevation; be it a musician playing on his lute or violin, a man smoking a hookah or even a lady having a moment of peace as she looks at the stars.

Other ladies present at the gallery, although a little bit plumper, are those of Mostafa Rahma’s watercolour collection. Just as Abdel Fattah’s lady, they, too, seem to be enjoying a little quiet time of their own; one of them is sipping on her wineglass, another is having a smoke, or simply lounging on a sofa with her pet.

These many scenes are but a glimpse of the colourful, crafty journey 1st Annual Small Works offers to the viewer. And if the artworks of this exhibition could speak, they would say that a piece of art is never to be judged by its size.