5 minutes with artist Klay Kassem

CAIRO – 17 October 2017: Ambitious contemporary artist Klay Kassem will be displaying several of his paintings featuring topics relevant to the common problems in the Egyptian society.

Kassem gives his readers a quick insight in an interview with Egypt Today about what he aspires to achieve from his paintings, which Arts-Mart Gallery will be showcasing in an exhibition on Friday.

ET: What best describes your artworks and how did it start?

KK: A patriotic identity began to build up inside me when I graduated, and I embarked on trips to Luxor and Aswan, which were reflected in the works I produced before the Egyptian uprising in 2011. My works reflect the Egyptian identity and patriotism, redefining the philosophy of old authentic Egyptian art and turning it into a modern valuable production across the world.



Painting by Klay Kassem (Photo courtesy of Klay Kassem)


b>ET: Tell us a bit about the paintings that will be displayed. What are the messages behind them?

KK: My works have differed after the revolution as I found several members of the Egyptian society feeling indifferent towards their Egyptian identity and who is in authority; therefore I decided to produce paintings presenting our current reality, tackling citizens’ desires, and featuring their financial needs. The 'fish' in my paintings symbolize finances while the 'sea' resembles the unknown paths that people take in search for materialistic objects.

I drew ‘women’ as a symbol of a home, a mother, and a divine teacher raising up many generations; the ‘bird’ is an icon used in my drawings to resemble escape and freedom from caging values, and the ‘cat’ resembles greed. The ‘table’ iconizes a collection of values and principles such as strong family bonds, and it also resembles the rich and poor depending on the items settled on the table. The ‘bride’ in a white dress resembles the dream of every young girl.

Despite the shift in the techniques of my work, I managed to return back to my old idea of reviving the Egyptian identity and heritage after being inspired by the maestro Nader Abbassy, who had the tenacity to rejuvenate Egyptian music heritage through Arabic films. One of his remarkable works includes the music tunes featured in the film "Al Ard" (Earth); I have called these tunes "The Symphony of the Earth."



Painting by Klay Kassem (Photo courtesy of Klay Kassem)


ET: Could you briefly tell us about the upcoming exhibition?

KK: The exhibition will host an array of topics tackled through my painting and art; initiated from previous exhibitions in 2011. Through this exhibition I aim to display a variety of cases and topics relevant to society and share them with not only intellectuals but also all the public.



Painting by Klay Kassem (Photo courtesy of Klay Kassem)



ET: What do you think of the current artistic movement in Egypt?

KK: The fine arts movement in Egypt is strong and features an array of talented fine artists contributing in the Egyptian history of fine arts. This can only be managed if those artists display the strong will of an artist, a critic and a receiver.




Painting by Klay Kassem (Photo courtesy of Klay Kassem)