Art Sawa to host the first Wael Darwesh‘s solo show in the

VERNISSAGE: THURSDAY 24 th June 2010 from 19.30 to 22.00 in the presence of
the Artist
EXHIBITION: SATURDAY 26 th June till 24th July 2010
Talk: SATURDAY 26th June from 5 .30 to 7.00 pm (to be followed by Q & A)
Subject: The representation of the human body in Contemporary Art
Audience: Seniors (15 +)
Art Sawa showcases the first solo exhibition in the UAE of the talented Egyptian artist
Wael Darwesh and titled Shrouded Memories. Darwesh is born in 1975, Cairo and since
lives and works in Cairo, Egypt
“In the past few years I have been much concerned with the changing perceptions and
the state of continuous social metamorphosis that Egypt has witnessed in the last three
decades. In my mixed media projects, I try to probe several phenomenon that constitute
for me some permanent obsessions, like time, its relevance to the subject matter
employed, elements of migration, gender, identity, among other themes that attract
several Egyptian artists of my generation.
Technically, I apply assemblages to create installation/ sculptural states that transcend
simple two-dimensional art forms; through the studied and experimental use of collage I
combine colour, calligraphy, textile, and various textural media to explore issues of space
and passage of time.” explained Darwesh.
Khaled Hafez comments on this exhibition:”Wael Darwesh’s painting projects in the past
few years were inspired by American Colour Field painting and French Lyrical Abstraction,
where large “fields” of flat solid colour colonize harmoniously large areas of the canvas to
create a homogenous surface of flat picture plane, stressing on the overall consistency of
form over the brush movement and brushstrokes. Contrary to standard Colour Field and
Lyrical Abstraction Darwesh for years have successfully combined abstraction styles and
painterly techniques with elements of figuration and cognitive representation.
In his 2010 works, Wael Darwesh uses his cumulative experience as a painter as well as
an interdisciplinary artist to create canvases that uses photography as a base for his
brush, eliminating along the way backgrounds. In this process, the artist creates, and
narrates, an alternative reality for the figures that filled the planes of the initial
photograph. The streets of Cairo act as a location much representative of contemporary
Middle Eastern urban cities; ordinary citizens dwell the streets and alleys alongside
soldiers and traffic policemen. Every photographed or painted individual play a different
role while interacting with each other in a universe that is almost hyper real. Darwesh
attempts to extend the limits of standard painting, and expands the battery of symbols
proposed by this medium by accumulating what photography can add to the canvas:
frozen reality, depth of field, and more visual symbols that Jean Baudrillard proposed –in
his seminal work on simulation and simulacra-- as defining our contemporary overindustrialized
societies today”.
Amel B. Makkawi, Founder of ART Sawa: says ShroudedMemories is an interesting
contribution and concept as well to the artistic agenda and this show presents an
excellent body of work for this talented emerging artist.
Art Sawa, which translates into Art Together, is a venue that facilitates and fosters
interaction, dialogue and inspiration through art, between artists and the public across
the Middle East. The gallery is considered one of the most significant galleries in the
region as it offers a distinctive art platform for artists from the Middle East, North Africa
and neighbouring countries.
Says Makkawi: “In setting up Art Sawa, it was my vision to create a space where people
could freely interact and discuss the issues raised through art, and I am extremely
privileged to host this Darwesh ‘s solo.