Writer and journalist Joan Didion remarked on this medium’s distinct uninhibited nature; “Novels are like paintings, specifically watercolors. Every stroke you put down you have to go with. Of course you can rewrite, but the original strokes are still there in the texture of the thing.”
Safarkhan presents from this December 3 to 24, a collective exhibition of predominantly pioneer (Modernist) watercolor works supplemented with a few in this same medium which we have endeavored to celebrate here, from contemporary artists all of which are sourced from our archival material. Writer and journalist Joan Didion remarked on this medium’s distinct uninhibited nature; “Novels are like paintings, specifically watercolors. Every stroke you put down you have to go with. Of course you can rewrite, but the original strokes are still there in the texture of the thing.” Indeed, the sheer motion-inducing and inherently transmutative qualities of aquarelle are what make it such a frequented method by masters whose versatility affords them the capacity to express themselves across the wide spectrum of artistic mediums. Aquarelle, as undoubtedly the most freeform and fluid of all paint applications, requires the deftest of touches in order to control its distribution and manipulate the flux of its properties to bring to life the artist’s vision.
The main body of this collection features watercolors from esteemed and established talents of Egyptian art, and contains renditions in sumptuous aquarelle across diverse styles including; landscapes, urbanscapes, stagecraft, figurative, abstract and finally those which combine the latter two in abstract-figurative composition. Exceptional works from the late Shaker El Maadawy (1944-2011) headline, as we see stunning abstract and abstract-figurative aquarelles in the artist’s signature paradisiacal gracefulness of stroke and color. Outsider Kamal Khalifa’s (1926-1968) oeuvre of evocative and unrestrained artistic irreverence was almost exclusively accomplished in aquarelle, and this collection features some fine newly-unearthed examples. Inji Efflatoun (1924-1989) needing no introduction of her own, also excelled at this medium and produced much of her provincial landscapes as well as notable samples of her emotive portraiture in it. Kawkab Youssef (1909-2009) who was a teacher but equally as much an artist despite having no formal training, features with a selection of five abstract-figurative watercolor works of female bathing nudes. Finally, Zaccaria El Zeini (1932-1993), a veritable master of aquarelle produced works that ranged from the most classically realistic landscapes to enigmatic nudes in his telltale cryptic expressionism, both of which we are featuring some fine examples of.
The ancillary contingent of this collection, with only a sparing amount of works attributed to each artist herein, contains no less impressive an assortment of aquarelle works. A pair of classical paintings from master orientalist and watercolorist Hidayet Chiraz (unknown-1965), a Turk who lived in Egypt his entire life during Egypt’s Khedival and monarchical dynasties. Another pair of works from contemporary talent Anna Boghuigian are presented, whom Safarkhan proudly launched to international acclaim. Both of these works are in Boghuigian’s characteristic haphazard abstraction and depict typical Egyptian subject matter as they are from her period spent living in Cairo. A magnificent abstract portrait from the now 91-year-old highly regarded talent George Bahgoury, as well as several works from local contemporary talents Gamal Lamei, longtime professor and artist, and the lesser known Aliyah Kamel, complete this collection.
