- Title: EGYPT: Aswan revives ancient Egyptian craft of sculpture
- Date: 26th March 2010
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SCULPTOR AND MANAGER OF ART GALLERY IN CENTRAL CAIRO, MOHAMMED AL-LABAN, SAYING: "In my work I play on sharp lines and soft lines, on sharp cuts and soft forms. I also play on balance. When you stand next to my sculpture you feel that it will lift you off the ground into the sky -- I play on this concept of breaking through." VARIOUS OF WORKERS HAND
- Embargoed: 10th April 2010 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Egypt
- Country: Egypt
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz
- Reuters ID: LVA7W4JNR8FZS2FSEFANBESQEO0O
- Story Text: The art of sculpting in granite was at its height in ancient Egypt. The world famous temples, obelisks, monuments and pyramids all bear witness to an unsurpassed skill in creating art out of this hard rock. But over the years the know how of the Pharaohs was lost and the number of Egyptian sculptors dwindled. Now an annual international sculpture symposium, continuing until the end of April, is allowing the city of Aswan to create an innovative sculpture park with work of the highest quality.
The best recognised images of ancient Egypt are literally carved in stone.
Such is their importance for understanding the history of humankind and appreciating one of the most well-documented and yet mysterious civilisations in the world.
In the southern Egyptian city of Aswan and on the banks of the River Nile, contemporary sculptors are working in the very same granite touched by their ancestors to create modern-day equivalents of what have become famous Pharaonic monuments, attempting to carve their own legacy onto this ancient art form.
Hany Saeed, an Egyptian sculptor and teacher of art, said the Aswan International Sculpture Symposium provides an up-to-date glimpse of the contemporary art scene, one that he believes will survive because it is being crafted in an indestructible material.
"The Aswan Symposium, in my opinion, is considered an extension of the Ancient Egyptian civilisation because the Pharaonic civilisation was based upon the concept of immortalising and documenting all their artistic and historical achievements using granite as the main raw material, which they used to build their temples and the pyramids -- the whole civilisation was built using Granite. In Egypt and through the Aswan Symposium, now in its 15th edition, we are showcasing works of art from all over the world created by Egyptian hands and foreign artists who come from all over the world to work alongside us," Saeed said.
But one of the most staggering differences with the Pharaonic way of working is the use of modern power tools.
With the help of electric power drills and blow torches, 15 contemporary artists from Egypt and abroad create their works in a more leisurely fashion, their vision inevitably different from their ancient counterparts.
The idea of creating an enduring legacy in granite came from Egypt's Minister of Culture, Farouk Hosny, in conjunction with one of the country's most eminent sculptors, Adam Henein.
Henein, creator and Commissioner General of the Supreme Committee of the Aswan International Sculpture Symposium, said foreigners invited to participate have brought with them specialised knowledge that was lacking among their Egyptian counterparts. Now after 15 years in the running, a proficient body of Egyptian granite sculptors has evolved, which now forms the nucleus of an art revival.
"We thought about creating this symposium so that we can bring together artists from Egypt and artists from other parts of the world who are proficient in sculpting through hard rock. Also as a way for emerging artists in Egypt to learn the technique, process and craft so they can express themselves and make their own creations. So we had to bring together Egyptian artists with experienced foreign artists and through this Egyptian artists were able to learn and their work evolved, which has in turn changed the perception of sculpting in Egypt over the last 15 or 30 years. Now we have artists who are skilled sculptors and we also have seen a lot of new talent emerge and they represent Egypt in symposiums around the world, in America, Spain, Japan and everywhere," Henein said.
With growing confidence, the Egyptian granite sculptor is no longer an isolated worker in an almost forgotten material, as Aswan has become the heart of an expanding art scene.
Each of the sculptors invited to take part each year get less than two months to complete their creation. They begin with a block of granite and shape it into something that captures their own spirit.
Egyptian Mohamed al-Laban, an artist and manager of a Cairo art gallery, said the combination of location, material and climate provides a unique recipe for inspiration. He said his work juxtaposes sharp and soft forms.
"In my work I play on sharp lines and soft lines, on sharp cuts and soft forms. I also play on balance. When you stand next to my sculpture you feel that it will lift you off the ground into the sky -- I play on this concept of breaking through," al-Laban said.
Each year the symposium brings together around seven top sculptors from abroad and the same number from within Egypt.
Nagui Farid, assistant to the General Commissioner of the Supreme Committee of the Aswan International Sculpture Symposium, believes that 15 years of holding the sculpture symposium has placed Egypt in a unique position where it now shares its know-how with others.
"Following the launch of the Aswan Symposium several Arab countries started to be attracted to the idea and they had some attempts, this happened in Dubai, Syria, Lebanon and now there is a new one in Abu Dhabi, which will kick-off immediately following the Aswan Symposium. Also in Morocco. But none of these attempts lasted as long as the Aswan Symposium. Also the work was not on Granite, but on Marble. Obviously Egypt has a long history with sculpting and no one else has managed to have a symposium lasting for 15 years in the way we have. But we do offer assistance to any of the Arab countries who request our expertise with symposiums, be it sculpting with marble or granite, and we have already invited artists from other countries. We have invited people from Syria, Morocco and Iraq and we always try to have a relationship with them, but I believe the foundation was in Aswan," said Farid.
The symposium continues until the end of April, after which the sculptures will be moved to their permanent location in a disused quarry overlooking the River Nile, a beautiful spot where the Granite returns to its natural habitat and takes on a life of its own. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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