At the opera
Cairo Opera House, in collaboration with the Cairo branch of the British Royal Academy of Music, brings acclaimed guitarist Yasser Sho'lah to its stage for the first time on 7 January in the Small Hall. Artist and scholar, scientist and composer, Sho'lah has been crowned with international renown for his work and is both a student of medicine as well as a scholar of music at the British Royal Academy of Music in London. A pupil of Mohamed El-Tobgi, head of the academy's Egyptian branch, Sho'lah's concerts are regularly broadcast on radio and television. On Sunday, he will perform Flamenco and classical music by a number of well-known composers.
On show
An exhibition of recent works by painter Ali Azzam goes on show on Saturday, 6 January, at the Akhenaton 4 gallery in the Centre of Arts premises in Zamalek. Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni and Centre of Arts head Ahmed Nawwar will inaugurate the exhibit at 7.00pm, along with a large group of artists and intellectuals. As well as still lifes, other works on display depict scenes from local daily life alongside what appear to be ambiguous futuristic projections. Infused with strong light, Azzam's palette remains minimalistic, with a preference for sharp contrasts and shadow work. The exhibition runs until 23 January.
Around the galleries
Last Ramadan, the Istituto Italiano di Cultura's contribution was a beautiful calligraphy exhibition. Ongoing till 6 January, this year's Ramadan exhibition comprises more than 80 paintings by well established and young artists, among them Ahmed Nawwar, Mohamed Rizq, Nazih Rashid, Mohamed Dessouqi, Faiz Mursi, El-Sayed Selim, Hossam Amin, Tariq Zayid and Ahmed Fouad Selim, to name just a few. As a tribute to contemporary Egyptian painting and for the sheer astounding range it presents, this exhibition is well worth a visit.
Reviewed by Nagwa El-Ashri
|
