Celebrating the birthday of the late Saad Kamel (1924-2012), the prominent folklore-oriented graphic artist and founder of Mashrabia Gallery of Fine Arts, “Folklore Tales” showcases a rare collection of his works.
“Folklore Tales” takes the viewer on a unique journey of fairy tales; the exciting world of Kamel’s imagination, inspired by Egyptian folk heritage, enriched by his creative genius, sensual detail, and his diverse state of the art techniques.
Born in 1924 in Shebin Al Kom in the Nile Delta, Kamel studied at the Faculty of Fine Arts until 1949. He received a diploma in ornamental graphics from the Rome Academy of Fine Arts in 1953. Later he did postgraduate studies in Gobelin and Aubusson tapestry in Paris.
In 1962, he was appointed a representative of the International Union of Arts in New York; he was a member in the Folk Arts Committee of the Supreme Council of Culture and of the World Council of Crafts in Geneva, among other positions of prominence.
His work has been acquired by the Museum of Modern Art in Cairo and many museums and private collections in the Middle East, Europe, America and Canada. Kamel participated in many local and international exhibitions including the Florence International Exhibition of Crafts in 1958, the Venice International Biennale in 1968 and the Islamic Contemporary Art Exhibition in London in 1976.
The exhibition continues until 15 April
*A version of this article appears in print in the 15 April, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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