Merging her passions for art and music, Egyptian artist Shahira Kamal is celebrating music in her first solo art exhibition 'Bring On The Rhythm', from 6 November to 16 November at ARCADE gallery in Maadi, and aims to collect funds to produce some of her own songs.
"I don't remember ever seeing an art exhibition focused on music. I am very in touch with the musician's emotions and exposition and familiar with the different experiences they are exposed to," Kamal told Ahram Online two days before the opening of her exhibition.
Kamal, who is a 2006 Fine Arts graduate and teaches art for different age segments, is a co-founder of EIC organisation community service for spreading wall art in the streets, which offers workshops in different venues, as well as a participant in galleries including Townhouse, Arcade and NWT.
"The exhibition focuses on the phases of the music production process, from the point of inception all the way to turning ideas into song. You will see how the exhibition's consecutive paintings gradually transition from pale colours to powerful ones," Shahira Kamal explained.
Kamal is deeply involved in the alternative current in music, which started almost two decades ago and which many like to call "the underground scene."
The singer and songwriter, who started her music career in 2013, founding girl band Viva Salata and later Shahira Welnas ElKhatira, was featured by famous band Cairokee in 2015 in their famous single 'Kol Haga Beta’ady.'
"The underground musician in Egypt is exposed to different kinds of music, from Pink Floyed to Abdel-Halim Hafez to the sound of the street crowd. I am focusing on exploring in my painting these sorts of very special experiences as well as the relationship between the musician, their instruments, and even their audience," she said.
Many well-known artists and musicians from the underground scene have announced their support of Kamal's project, including Massar Egbari lead singer Hany El-Dakkak, Amir Eid of Cairokee, and singers Youssra El-Hawary and Dalia Farid in various videos collected and published though the artist's social media platforms.
On Sunday, Shahira released a video clip for 'Allah Yesamho Elhob,' a composition arranged by Bishoy George.
"I was keen to release this days before the art exhibition to prove that I am capable of producing my own work and to encourage the audience to support my music project through the art exhibition," Kamal said.
One day after the opening of the 'Bring On The Rhythm' exhibition, Kamal will be performing on 7 November at ROOM Art Space in Garden City, singing some of her well-known songs like Mahma Kont Ba’aed and Etha Aradt.
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