Ali Abdel Mohsen, one of the most stunning visionary artists of the contemporary Egyptian scene, creates, through extremely spontaneous and individualised apolcalyptic imagery, an art which is incumbent upon all people. A self-taught artist and journalist, he uses line drawings and acrylic colours mixed with dirt and cigarette ashes on the surfaces of disused cardboard boxes to convey his impressions of decline in contemporary society. Strongly influenced by his surroundings, his work depicts a dystopic world of nihilism and paranoia. Placed in post-apocalyptic scenarios of undefined urban spaces, the scenes portray a society where violence, chaos and corruption have taken over. The individual plays no role: his subjects are faceless victims of the system. In the attempt to explore the grey areas of human nature in a society that is falling apart, the power of visual imagery is brought into play to the greatest extent by utilising consumed materials, which reflect the sense of exhaustion and abandonment of the people. Nonetheless, Abdel Mohsen gives not only an account of contemporary degradation, but portrays a slow war, where alienated figures suggest some latent signs of resilience.



Ali Abdel Mohsen’s artwork, unique in its suggestive titles, such as ‘Slow war’, ‘This a dream come true’, and ‘Razor-sharp teeth’, have been featured in solo and group exhibitions in Egypt, Lebanon, Germany, Denmark, and Dubai. His publications have appeared in important newspapers including Egypt Independent, Mada Masr, Harper’s and Al Arabiya. This talented an unprecedented artist was represented by Cairo’s Mashrabia Gallery of Contemporary at the Art the Beirut Art Fair, 2016 and in the last years has been rising rapidly in the regional scene.

Born in 1978 in Nag Hammadi, Upper Egypt, Ahmed Askalany currently lives and works in Cairo. His work shows an explicit connection with traditional materials and craft methods associated with the ancient cultures of Egypt. Throughout his career as a sculptor, Askalany experimented with different materials, valuing also poor and fragile ones, such as terracotta and palm leaves, and recovering discarded and abandoned ones, such as tyres.
Characteristic of Askalany’s works are the aesthetic forms that place an emphasis on both structure and volume, as well as an innocent sense of isolation that reflects frankness, candor and a poetic sensitivity. Human figures inspired by his native town make up an impressive mini-show of small sculptures, which convey a sense of familiarity and invite the public to interact with them. Fat figures with tiny heads are represented in their exaggerated volume with a playful streak of humor and can represent either a form of social criticism or nostalgia for feelings of the past that have now been lost. Ahmed Askalany took part in several exhibitions worldwide such as Egypt, France, Italy, and the Netherlands. His work was displayed at the 4th Rome and Mediterranean Countries Biennale, Sarajevo, Bosnia in 2011 and he represented Egypt at the 2009 Venice Biennale.

Born in Cairo in 1975, Hany Rashed lives and works in Cairo.
A self-taught artist, Rashed has worked closely with renowned artist Mohamed Abla – who became his mentor. By experimenting with a wide range of techniques, Rashed continuously reinvents himself and his work. His predilection for the use of media images pushes the audience to recognize the banality and the damage caused by excessive exposure to Western media, highlighting the depersonalization of the individual. Since the 2011 Revolution, Rashed has played a leading role in documenting part of the contemporary Egyptian history through his sarcastic production.

Born in 1981, Ahmed El Shaer is a multi-disciplinary artist whose practice spans the mediums of installation, photography, sound and video, with a particular interest in digital technologies. His videos combine Machinima, stock footage, 3D animation and experimental soundscapes. In this work El Shaer, who has a particular interest in digital technologies, employs the West-born 8-bit gaming technology to create a set of portraits of Arab world celebrities, such as SouadHosny, Ahmed Zaky, and Asmahan. Appealing to anyone with an interest in seeing pop culture through art, Elshaer’s works aim at bringing the 8-bit era that has been culturally significant and influential in the west, to contemporary Egypt.
His work has been highlighted in numerous exhibitions and festivals, among which: 56th Venice Biennale, “In the Eye of the Thunderstorm” Collateral Event, Curated by: Martina Corgnati, Venice, Italy. “Experiments in Arab Cinema” at (Simon Fraser University) “SFU”, Vancouver, Canada, 2013 and (Rochester University) New York, USA, 2014. He is the recipient of numerous awards and has participated in several residency programs, such as the Fulbright Grants for Art Research 2018-2019.