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

Artists have always been interested in reviving objects in their paintings; something that is beautifully captured in the pieces of the gallery Grant’s annual summer collection in Abdeen district.

Gallery Grant, is currently hosting an annual summer collection featuring  remarkable artworks from all artists who exhibited their  pieces over the past year.  The gallery provides a soothing atmosphere and an educational, enlightening and artistic experience to all its visitors, with its adequate lighting and its stylish and modern interior. 

As we enter the gallery’s hall, an assemblage of paintings hung on the walls instantly draws our attention, all of which are traditional, moderately small and framed to add that extra touch of refinement.

The first painting we came across is a modern abstract piece by esteemed Egyptian artist Mohamed El Zahid, which seems to entail a story of precision, colour, shape and form; from afar it could almost be considered  a still life, perhaps a room with objects and furniture together creating an interesting composition.  Warm reds and oranges tones are used in the background, whereas cooler tones; blues and greens, are used for the objects, creating a clear separation between the two. 

Most of the paintings covering the walls of Gallery Grant have an oriental flavour, focusing particularly on Bedouins and rural life in Egypt. One artist, Hassan Rashed paints a young Bedouin boy playing an instrument similar to a guitar; his skin is dark as is his robe, though the ta’aya on his head is full of vivacious colours and intricate patterns, which are also featured in the background.    

Farouk Shehata is another artist who applies his attention to oriental art, particularly focusing on Egyptian scenes, though his style is quite modern in relation to traditional, realist artists.  Two of his drawings rely on portraying Egyptian scenery including the river Nile, tall palm trees and a mosque. Shehate’s aesthetic can accurately be described as a beautiful and personal scenic scribble on paper.

Perhaps one of our favourite artistic creations within this exhibition is a piece by Hoda Murad called ‘Strelitzia’ (commonly known as the Bird of Paradise).

Using  oil pastel over paint which defined  the strong lines of the stem as opposed to the  thicker paint used for the petals, Murad  succeeded to capture a 3D-like flower glowing against a dark background  like tiny flames of a candle.

Gallery Grant’s summer collection is small in size yet beautifully composed with a small collection of the paintings on for sale