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

Arts & Culture
Group Exhibition at Duroub Gallery

Duroub Gallery: Group Exhibition

reviewed by
Katie Dryden
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Duroub Gallery: Group Exhibition

When Winston Churchill, former British Prime Minister, was asked to cut arts funding in favour of the war effort, his response was "…then what are we fighting for?"

Stylish flooring, iridescent, white walls and two spacious levels Duroub Gallery in Garden City demonstrates exactly that, with a group exhibition featuring the works of over fifty artists,

Artist Samir Abdel-Rahman, born in 1947, has a collection of 30 oil paintings on display at as part of the exhibition, focusing on Egyptian culture entwined with Islamic Art and iconic motifs.

One of his paintings portrays three rows of Egyptian men dressed in white galabeyas dancing, playing music and celebrating; though the figures are mostly white shapes with tanned faces, the background is a mixture of vivid orange and fiery red implying heat, energy and festivity.  The painting is set out like the early Pharaonic wall paintings that exist to tell a story. The story here is clearly one of joy and celebration, perfect for during Ramadan. 

Mohamed Yousef is another talented artist contributing to this exhibition with a colourful, cubist style painting, rich in colours and symbolism.  One particular painting portrays a Bedouin woman garbed in shiny jewellery and colourful attire.  There is a white bird present at the bottom of the female’s face which could be a symbol of peace; the woman’s face is strong and the centralised position could imply importance. 

The second floor of the gallery displays, not only paintings, but also ceramics, jewellery and textiles both for viewing and sale.  A pair of medium sized, pearl earrings cost 120LE. There is also a selection of stylish pendants created from glass plus some beaded jewellery. 

Hung upon the wall is a beautiful collection of tiny, framed ceramic pictures; some feature old buildings in Cairo with tiny windows carved into the clay, others are of coral with glass fish in vivid colours.  The contrast between the glass and clay creates a strong effect as the fish appear closer and stand out more due to their bright colour and shiny surface compared to the coarse feel of the clay.  Overall these pieces are tiny, delicate yet beautifully created.

In addition to the numerous paintings, fine jewellery and these tiny creations, the exhibition also contains some amazing, intricate wire sculptures, which can be admired and appreciated from all angles.

Duroub Gallery’s goal is to create chemistry in art between different generations and bring them together through one diverse exhibition, to which we feel it has been successful.  It really is a marvellous mixture of talent; art mediums and forms making it well worth a visit to Duroub Gallery.

360 Tip

Ramadan opening hours at Duroub Gallery are 11AM-6PM.

Best Bit

The overall diversity of the contents of the exhibition, ranging from paintings to hand-crafted jewellery, makes it an interesting exhibition.

Worst Bit

There is no brochure, however the owner was very helpful in providing information.

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