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

Featured image courtesy of Lutfi Zayed

 

Let us all agree that it’s quite a tough job to find a quality piece of art that won’t break your bank. While enjoying a beautiful painting hanging on the wall at an art gallery won’t cost you a penny, regularly hunting Cairo’s art shows may be a hassle, and the pieces might be out of your price range.

Thank goodness our beloved internet brings the world to the palm of our hands; one where you can explore art with a simple finger swipe. In this piece, we’re bringing you five visual artists and illustrators who share their works on Instagram.

 

Walid Taher                                                        

 

 

 

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A post shared by Walid Taher (@walidtahersadek) on Aug 30, 2018 at 11:50am PDT

 

If you’re an avid book reader, then you are probably familiar with Walid Taher’s playful illustrations, for he’s the man behind some of the best book covers, including Belal Fadl’s Safasef El Omoor (Trivialities). The man is himself an author, writing and illustrating children’s books, including Wardany El Wahdany (The Lonely Wardany).

 

Hani Mahfouz

 

 

 

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A post shared by Hani Mahfouz (@hanimahfouz) on Feb 24, 2018 at 10:49am PST

 

Now, this is a personal favourite. Back in the early 2000s, when we were but a budding college student,  Hani Mahfouz-designed notebooks were must-haves. Besides their unique designs, the notebooks were quality, and they came in various shapes and sizes, catering to all needs. It’s been a while since we ran into one of those in Diwan Bookstore, we wonder if they are still around –how we’ve grown!

 

Amro Thabit

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Amro Thabit ???? ڤيكتور موسى (@amro.thabit) on Jun 4, 2018 at 9:03am PDT

 

The brain behind the witty packaging of Chiclets, Amro Thabit is a well-known name in Cairo’s art scene. Having been counted among the winners of 100 Best Arabic Posters’ first edition, Thabit became a jury member the following year. He also has other Instagram accounts, including Cyrosol, and Aboseree3 –for us, the first is the real gem; you’ll understand what we mean when you check Cyrosol in grid form.

 

Kamila Bassioni

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by kamila bassioni (@kamilabassioni) on Jul 21, 2018 at 1:19pm PDT

 

There’s something familiar and quite relaxing about her child-like style. The Egyptian/Irish artist, whose works majorly depends on collage, has participated in various group shows around the city, including Roznama. She also illustrated Amal Farah’s children’s book, Ketab  Mokhtalef w ‘Adi Geddan (An Extraordinary Ordinary Book).

 

Lutfi Zayed

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Lutfi Zayed (@lutfi.zayed) on Apr 25, 2019 at 12:25am PDT

 

This Jordan-based artist caught our attention with his comic book 485 Itar (485 Frames), which was released earlier this August –you can find it at Cairopolitan, in case you are wondering. Zayed is a graphic designer, book illustrator, and animator, whose works made its way to many international shows.