Simple Things exhibition by Ibrahim Haddad at Mashrabia Gallery

CAIRO – 15 January 2018: Artist Ibrahim el-Haddad will be hosting an exhibition at the Mashrabia Gallery on January 21, 2018 until February 28, 2018, named 'Simple Things'.

Born in Egypt, el-Haddad graduated from Helwan’s University of Fine Arts in 1990, where according to the exhibit statement, he left for Switzerland on a Scholarship and returned to Egypt a decade later, just before the arrival of the 2011 revolution. This long absence has left el-Haddad with a newfound appreciation for the small, unnoticed, 'simple things' in the country.

This exhibition aims to challenge how art is traditionally defined, incorporating all that is taken for granted in daily Egyptian life and putting it into a colorful new light; discarded objects taken from the streets of Cairo are given new purpose with a vivid paintjobs, utilizing a style akin to African art, a trademark of the artist's rich style.

Mashrabia Gallery, located in downtown Cairo, focuses on Egypt's contemporary art-scene, was established in the mid-1970's and has a philosophy of promoting young upcoming Egyptian talent and artists from abroad.