The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

As an
active member of the Egyptian art scene since 1985, Khaled Sorour is exhibiting
a range of paintings from his collections Al Amaken, Al Aila El Kebira and Ahwal at
two separate Cairo locations simultaneously; the Kempinski Nile Hotel’s Chocolate
Lounge and Zamalek Art Gallery.

Although
Sorour’s style is referred to as pop art, there is a lot more to his pieces
than just that. There are clear influences of impressionism in his symbolic
abstract works. The biggest influences in his work are Egyptian daily life and
Egyptian folklore. Nubian culture is also an obvious personal inspiration for Sorour,
as he himself is of Nubian heritage. His current exhibition shows street
scenes, the Egyptian countryside and domestic home life.

Most of
the paintings are based on Sorour‘s personal memories, adding an intimate
atmosphere to his work. One painting for instance shows the house of his
grandmother the way that he remembers it. The painting depicts a living room,
kitchen and bedroom all in one. Leftovers of a fishmeal lie on a table, with
pots and pans still on the stove. Another painting shows a carnival with two
clowns on the stage and a sign in front announcing the program’s show.           

Several paintings
also feature animals. There is a painting with a lion and a ringmaster in an
arena with the crowd cheering. In true Egyptian style of course, one painting
shows a belly dancer in what seems to be a bar on a stage while the audience watch
and point at her and the bartender observes her in the background.

A common
theme in Sorour’s work appears to be Egyptian festivities and the spirit of
celebration. In a lot of his work we see people attending parties wearing party
hats and dancing. Most paintings portray groups of people, with only a few
paintings focusing on individuals, perhaps to continue that thread of festivity.

Besides
the painting of his grandmother’s house, another highlight in the collection is
the paintings of street scenes. One piece shows two children sitting in front
of their house looking across the street, while another is of a city skyline.
It’s the use of bright, vivid, and contrasting colours and attention to detail that
make Sorour’s work very interesting and you could spend hours staring at them, continually
discovering new small details as you do.

If you
want to purchase a painting by Sorour, you will have to reach deep into your pockets as prices start at 10,000LE. It is expensive; but you’ll have your
own piece of original Egyptian pop art to add to your collection.