“Nature’s Keepers”,a solo exhibition by the exceptionally gifted artist Mohamed Rabie is currently on display at TAM.Gallery.

Born in Minya in 1986, Rabie’s work is deeply rooted in the culture of Middle Egypt. He offers a layered blend of the different eras and cultures that formitsrich heritage. By extracting fragmentary concepts from history, heeffectively givesthem acontemporary meaning.

“Since the beginning of time, nature has been the primary provider and teacher of humanity, and a main constituent of itsevolution. People havealways tried to study it and uncover its secrets, and animals were their companions onthis daily search; God created them in order to fulfill acrucial rolein the symbiotic relationship linkingcreation and ensure a balanced ecosystem,” Rabieexplains.

“There are around 10 million known species on earth. Over time, humansdevised ploys to tame and train them totheirservice, companionship, conservation and protection. Among these ploys are the scarecrow that protects the crops and the sheepdog that guards the flock. These and many more have become part of our heritage.In this collection of work, I used all the visual references buried in my memory.”

The exhibition will remain on view until 29 October.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 8 October, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly