I have been observing the Nile fishermen for years---from Philea to Rashid. And from my balcony in Manial which overlooks the river. They live in a unique world; one that relies solely on the blessing of fate itself. Men, women and children live slow, gentle rhythms in modest fishing skiffs that ply the heavy waters all day. Unlike a sea-fisherman, a river fisherman (and often it is an independent fisherwoman rather than a man) doesn’t leave the confines of the small narrow boat. He and/or she lives and works on the boat.
Grows up and marries there. It is where children are born. An entire social life is centered on the boat; friends crowd-in for celebrations or drop by for a glass of sweetened tea. It is a hard but mystical life with a serenity that is seldom found on the river-banks where their boats come to rest when the dark night falls. This art work is dedicated to the fishermen and women of the Nile.