An exhibition by artist and Egypt's former minister of culture Farouk Hosny was inaugurated at the Picasso Gallery in Cairo's Zamalek earlier this week.

The exhibition showcases about 40 paintings of various sizes, in which Hosny depicts the beauty of galaxies and endless space, visualising them as an astronaut. The paintings are of a unique style that captured the attention of all visitors.

(L-r) Boussy Shalaby, Amal Osman, artist Farouk Hosny and Lebleba (Ayman Barayez)

Attending the opening were world-renowned archeologist Zahi Hawass, actresses Laila Elwi, Lebleba, and Elham Shahine, choreographer Walid Aouni, artist and the under-secretary of the Faculty of Fine Arts Ashraf Reda, well-known journalists Mona Ragab and Zeinab Abdel-Razek, and Al-Beit magazine editor-in-chief Sawsan Mourad.

Also attending were businessman Salah Diab, the daughter of late president Gamal Abdel-Nasser Mona Abdel-Nasser, TV anchors Lamis Al-Hadidy and Boussy Shalaby, Picasso gallery's founder Ibrahim Picasso, painters Nahed Shaker, Nermin Hakim, and Ahmed Shiha, as well as Cairo Opera Ballet Company star Sahar Helmi Hilaly.

(L-r) Mona Ragab and former culture minister Farouk Hosny with Ibrahim Picasso (Ayman Barayez)

“Farouk Hosny… floats through galaxies and in infinite space, he perceives ideas, sensations, absolute forms, and pure colours,” said Carmelo Strano, an Italian art critic at L’Arca International Magazine.

Executive director of the Museum of Art I Fort Lauderdale Houston Irvin Lippman said, “saturated with vivid colour and constructed of delicate calligraphic elements, Farouk Hosny’s paintings appear to emanate with the clear bright Mediterranean light of his native Egypt.”

The exhibition will remain on view at Picasso Gallery until 28 February.