Stiola represents the second installment in the Keramos exhibition series, which Al-Masry initiated in January 2024.
The series showcases pottery works that embody the essence of Egyptian heritage by utilizing smoke effects during the reduction phase.
The process begins with selecting a pottery design influenced by Predynastic eras. Al-Masry based her work on heritage found in ancient settlements that evolved into towns scattered across Upper Egypt, such as Merimde Beni Salama, Deir Tasa, Badari, and Naqada, as well as those representing the Maadi Predynastic civilization, where the present-day Maadi district of Cairo is situated.
Subsequently, ancient script symbols — such as those from ancient Egyptian, Cuneiform, Sasanian, Sumerian, Akkadian, and Aramaic languages — were adapted to enrich the surface of the pottery aesthetically.
Al-Masry's intent was not to convey literal meanings through these scripts but to harness their visual appeal and add a unique visual element to each piece.
While the artist remains faithful to historical references in technique and form, conscious interventions infuse her work with modern conceptual dimensions.
Those interventions include treating script lines as formative elements, echoing trends from 20th-century Western art movements like abstract calligraphy, where letters transcend their semantic functions to serve purely aesthetic purposes. This approach is facilitated by using scripts unfamiliar to most viewers, arranged in compositions that harmonize with the contours and dimensions of the pottery. The works convey a profound humanistic message, emphasizing the importance of an individual's connection to their cultural heritage, which is the foundation of their identity.
The exhibition opening saw high-profile attendees, including Ambassador Ahmed Farid, Deputy Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs; Lamia Zayed, Chairwoman of the Cairo Opera; Walid Qannoush, Head of the Fine Arts Sector; and Gamal Hosni, Director of Exhibitions and Art Collections at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. Renowned artists, including Salah El-Meligy and Farid Fadel, were also present.
The exhibition will run until Thursday, 27 February, at the Salah Taher Hall of the Cairo Opera House in Zamalek, Cairo.
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