Hayam Abdel Baky Exhibition at Ubuntu Art Gallery
Ubuntu Art Gallery: Hayam Abdel Baky Exhibition
-
20 Hassan Sabry St. Zamalek Entrance، from Ibn Zinky St, Zamalek, Cairo Governorate
-
Galleries
-
-
11AM-8PM
Katie Dryden

Though located on the outskirts, Ubuntu Art Gallery is becoming more and more well-known among the many artistic platforms in Zamalek due to its continuous range of outstanding and carefully selected exhibitions. Currently displayed within the gallery’s generously spaced venue, is a colourful collection by Egyptian artist, Hayam Abdel Baky, who successfully manages to create a sense of celebration through her distinctive paintings.
From the moment we stepped inside, we were instantly entertained by the figures and the vivid whirl of colours that spin like a Tanoora.
Born in 1972 in Kafr El-Sheikh, Abdel Baky earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Specific Education at Tanta University in 1995, both a Master’s degree and Diploma in Oil Painting in 1997 and in 2002, as well as a PhD in Art in 2003. Abdel Baky was involved in many exhibitions both in Egypt and overseas, including Poland, Korea and Bulgaria.
The paintings are large, generous in colour and full of movement. One piece depicts a celebration and is filled from corner to corner with people dancing and playing; the mood of the piece is quite joyous, which makes you want to step back and take a moment to contemplate it before moving onto the next artistic creation.
Looking around the gallery, it seems that the artist’s overall style is both colourful and chaotic. Each painting has so much to offer in terms of theme and many of Abdel Baky’s artwork beautifully portrays the Egyptian heritage, with a special focus on the countryside and the traditional clothing. Another piece focuses on typical animals you would find in the farms; including goats and chickens.
One painting shows several women in the street conversing with friends; tending to young children and shopping amongst the hustle and bustle; while in the meantime, there is a four-legged creature, a dog or goat perhaps, walking amongst them.The colours are once again quite bold and unrealistic; a woman can be seen with a blue face and the animals are in fiery orange colours. In fact, the colours used in the painting are coherent to the early twentieth century style Fauvism.
Overall, the exhibition currently displayed in Ubuntu is a fantastic portrayal of not only Abdel Baky’s talent and passion for Egypt’s countryside and heritage, but also of the freedom of colour and style which characterise the Fauvism movement.