Power outages, widespread frustration and turmoil in the culture ministry are not stopping galleries from hosting dynamic exhibitions this summer.

Cairo’s art galleries are in full bloom this June, featuring artwork by established and emerging artists alike.

From solo exhibitions by talented young artists at Art Talks, Mashrabia Gallery, Artellewa and the Nile Sunset Annex to collective exhibitions at the Palace of Arts, Al Masar Gallery, Gallery Misr among others, this month promises a diverse artwork lineup.


The Golden Fly: Weaam El Masry at Art Talks

In this solo exhibition at Art Talks, Egyptian artist Weaam El Masry tackles the liberation of women in compelling paintings that demand attention and reaction.

Strong women including "Star of the East," singer Oum Kolthoum, Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, and the late Egyptian visual artist Amaal Kenawy make appearances in her paintings.

"Faced with the choice to compromise or defy the stigma imposed by the society to realise her dreams, the woman in Weaam El Masry's world is reminiscent of the Golden Fly - an insect that symbolised persistence and bravery in Ancient Egypt," says the curatorial statement.

The exhibition runs until 12 June
8 Kamel Mohamed Street, Zamalek, Cairo

Objects in Mirror are Closer than they Appear: Video art exhibition at CIC

Cairo's Contemporary Image Collective (CIC) is collaborating with the UK's Tate Modern in a collective video art exhibition entitled Objects in Mirror are Closer than they Appear, which raises questions about the nature of cinema and moving images, and the role played by the audiences' imaginations and perceptions in constructing narratives.

The exhibition features seven international artists; Herman Asselberghs, Manon de Boer, Sherif El-Azma, Patricia Esquivias, Lars Laumann, Maha Maamoun, and Ján Mančuška.



Now until 12 June
22 Abdel Khalek Tharwat Street, 4th Floor, Downtown Cairo



Two-day summer exhibition at Four Seasons Hotel

ArtsMart, an online trading platform that exhibits works by prominent contemporary as well as up-and-coming Egyptian artists, is organising a two-day art exhibition at the Four Seasons Hotel.

This offline summer show will feature artwork by famed artists such as Omar El Nagdy, Mohamed Abla and Hany Rashed, as well as paintings by promising emerging artists including Ahmed Sabry, Tasneem El Meshad, among many others.

Exhibition opens at 12pm on 11 June and runs until 10pm on 12 June
Four Seasons Hotel Nile Plaza, Nile Ballroom, Garden City, Cairo

20 Years of Evelyn Ashamallah at 6 Contemporary Arts

6 Contemporary Arts zooms in on the work of Egyptian artist Evelyn Ashamallah (b. 1948) in their latest exhibition. Ashamallah is a founding member of the Artists' Syndicate and juried the Youth Salon for four consecutive years starting 1996.

This show features a group of artworks selected from across the past 20 years of the artist's career. Some paintings are evocative of Ashamallah's childhood in Dessouk, Kafr El Sheikh. Others were inspired by celebratory religious festivals (Al Moulid).

"Distorted figures fed with child-like colours, her artistic freedom grasps the innocence of a child with the satire of an adult," reads the curatorial statement.

Exhibition runs until 23 June

6 Salah El-Deen Street, Zamalek, Cairo

General Exhibition at the Palace of Arts

Held at the Palace of Arts, located at the Cairo Opera House grounds, the 35th General Art Exhibition - which opened 26 May, amid controversy - hosts a large collection of contemporary artists by Egypt’s emerging and established artists. Read more here.

Exhibition runs until 25 June
Palace of Arts, Cairo Opera House, Zamalek, Cairo

Rhino Story: Ahmed Sabry exhibits at Mashrabia Gallery

Inspired by The Rhino Story, an anecdotal text written by Mohamed Abdelkarim in Beirut in 2012, has inspired Ahmed Sabry to create a series of paintings. Sabry is known for his satirical, socio-political artwork, that often draws a smile from audiences. Read on Ahmed Sabry's previous work here.

Exhibition opens 9 June and runs until 4 July
8 Champollion Street, Downtown, Cairo

It’s Never Too Late to Talk About Love: Solo exhibition by Mahmoud Khaled at Nile Sunset Annex

Held at the Nile Sunset Annex, It’s Never Too Late to Talk About Love is a solo show by emerging artist Mahmoud Khaled, composed of five projects that tackle themes of romance, vulnerability and dreams.

"Wavering between personal and social registers, the pieces are composed of elements as diverse as marble, newsprint posters, iPhone screenshots, and a song by Jacques Brel," reads the curatorial statement.

Exhibition opens 8 June and runs until 6 July
1071 Corniche El Nile, Flat 17, 4th Floor, Garden City, Cairo

Collective Exhibition: Gallery Artists at Al Masar Gallery

Al Masar Gallery will host a collective exhibition of artworks by modern and contemporary Egyptian artists until 9 July. The show features paintings and sculptures by Georges Bahgoury, Hamdi Attia, Ibrahim El Dessouky, Mounir Canaan, Omar El Nagdy and Taha Hussein, among others.

Exhibition opens 9 June and runs until 9 July
Baehler's Mansion 157b, 26 July Street, side entrance on Isaac Jacob Street, Zamalek, Cairo

Collective Exhibition: Gallery Artists at The Art Lounge 

The Art Lounge, an art space launched earlier this year by five-year-old Al Masar Gallery to spotlight prominent young artists, will host a collective exhibition starting 9 June.

The show features paintings by Kareem Al Qurity, Sami Aboul Azm, and Tarek Montasser and sculptures by Mahmoud El Dewaihy.

Exhibition opens 9 June and runs until 9 July
Baehler's Mansion 157b, 26 July Street, side entrance on Isaac Jacob Street, Zamalek, Cairo

Downtown: Group exhibition at Gallery Misr

Thirteen young artists will exhibit their artwork at Gallery Misr in an exhibition titled Downtown until 18 July. Exhibiting artists include Ahmed Sabry, Aya El-Fallah, Rania Fouad, Mohamed El-Masry and Menna Genedy, among others. 

The exhibition runs until 18 July
4 A Ibn Zanki Street, from Hassan Sabry Street, Zamalek, Cairo

We are the end of the world: Solo exhibition by Mohamed El Masry at Artellewa

This project by Cairo-based emerging artist Mohamed El Masry depicts images from armed conflicts and incidents of ethnic cleansing that have occurred across the globe over the past 100 years.

"Many say the end of the world is near, and that it will be because of a natural phenomena or a cosmic disaster. Truth is, we are the end of the world," El Masry says in his artist statement.

The exhibition opens 18 June and runs until 7 July
19 Mohamed Ali El-Eseary Street, Ard El-Lewa, Giza, Cairo


Urban Visions: Three emerging artists at GIZ

The Mashrabia Gallery of Contemporary Art and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) office in Egypt are collaborating to organize a collective exhibition by three emerging Egyptian artists, Ahmed Sabry, Ali Abdel Mohsen and Ramy Dozy.

Entitled Urban Visions, "this show aims at catching the mythological dimension of the city, as well as the voices of its real or imaginary inhabitants," according to Mashrabia Gallery.

Exhibition opens 6 June and runs until the end of September
4D, El Gezira Street, Zamalek, Cairo

This agenda is subject to updates throughout the month as more information on exhibitions is announced by the spaces.

To send us your art space's press releases email: [email protected]

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