The open air musuem(top and bottom); assistants at work outside Basma hotel in Aswan (middle)
photos: Youssef Rakha
On visiting Aswan during the symposium, artist Gamil Shafik found himself deeply drawn to the sculptor assistants and their work. The encounter was so moving, in fact, it prompted a return to his roots as an art journalist -- someone who performs the job of the journalist through his sketchbook rather than recorder-notebook or camera. Shafik spent hours mingling with the assistants, observing their work and sketching them. The result was work unlike anything he has done in the past
illustrations: Gamil Shafik