Messadi art gallery is currently showing a new collection by artist Fatima El-Shiati. Entitled “Parole Parole”, some 30 mixed media pieces celebrate the power of proverbs and lyrics through the humour and beauty of oversized figures, and the richness and nobility of art deco.

El-Shiati portrays beauty as she sees and experiences it, giving life to her characters by adding texture and experimenting with a range of materials. At times, she will add a proverb or lyric to help shape her stories and revive our memories.

This collection is a reflection of her – a woman who carves her own path through everything she does, setting her own standards and speaking her own truth. But it is also a reminder not to take yourself or life too seriously and to enjoy what you have when you have it.

The artist is a graduate of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. She studied art at the Dundas Vallery School of Art in Ontario, Canada, the Montreal Museum of Fine Art and the Galerie d’Art Contemporain in Montreal, Canada.

In her work, she blends aspects of her life, interests and passions into decorative works of art using mixed media assemblage. She has created commissioned work for public parks, residential, corporate, educational facilities as well as health care.

Messadi is a gallery of antiques in Cairo’s cosmopolitan neighbourhood of Zamalek. A few years ago, the gallery owner Nagui Messadi and the curator Shaker Hobeika started promoting  modern and contemporary Egyptian art. Messadi’s mission is to  represent Egyptian pioneers faithfully, showcasing some of the most promising artists on the scene today. It exhibits works by numerous artists such as George Bahgory, Guirguis Lotfy, Ibrahim El-Tanbouli, Fathy Hassan and Fadwa Ramadan.

The exhibition continues through 12 June. 

*A version of this article appears in print in the 3 June, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly