Paint Like An Eygptian

Farghali Abdel Hafiz
Hi all,

Are the long, cold winter nights starting to get you down? Feel the need perhaps for some exotic colour therapy? Then look no further than this month’s edition of Canvas (Art and Culture from the Middle East and Arab World) their monthly profile looks at the Egyptian artist Farghali Abdel Hafiz. (Co-founder of the Axis Group, one of the most important art movements in Egypt’s post -Modernist era) With a bold, spontaneous style he happily wallows in a warm, rich and evocative imagery. Using such concerns as his cultures past and present he has developed a series of fresh and multi coloured scenes such as ‘Spiritual Power of Aswan’ – 2006 (pictured above)


I like this artist. Yes, many of his paintings are very much influenced by an assorted mix of western movements...so what! What he manages to do so well is to inject his own highly personalized style into the great mix. Also, It’s just so satisfying to find an eminent artist who’s unafraid to enjoy the ‘very essence of the paint’ who glories not in some bullsh*t manifesto but instead revels in the joy his art can bring. As he writes himself…

“I remain preoccupied with protecting the positive energy of art, steering it towards the ability to impart light, warmth, optimism and confidence.”

And so say all of us!

For more painting by Farghali Abdel Hafiz visit the Zamalek Art Gallery.

Catch you later

Shirley

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Canvas: Art and Culture from the Middle East and Arab World

Full Of Eastern Promise!
Hi all,

Fancy a change? Want to try something a tad different? Something a little more exotic perhaps? Then how about adding a touch of Eastern spice to your cultural palette? Interested... then check out Canvas (pictured above) a superb online magazine based in Dubai which presents ‘Art and Culture from the Middle East and Arab World’. And does so quite brilliantly.

The site itself is design heaven. With its clean edged thoughtfully constructed interface Canvas is delightfully rich in both style and content. What a pleasure to experience such abundance in both cultural and historical diversity yet be blissfully devoid of all political rhetoric! Thanks in no small part to its publisher and Editor-in-Chief Ali Y Khadra whose policy appears to concentrate firmly on the regions fabulous creative talents rather than to fan any militant agenda.

‘Canvas is a bi-monthly magazine distributed across the world, offering the best in art and culture from the Middle East and Arab world. With intelligent in-depth articles on every thing from the visual arts to museums, galleries, photography and design, every issue carries an exclusive feature’.

For those of us who believe that art should build bridges whilst breaking down barriers sites like Canvas should be both applauded and encouraged by all of us.

Catch you later

Shirley

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