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

In collaboration with the Greek
Embassy in Cairo, Mashrabia Gallery is currently hosting Greek artist Yorgos Papageorgiou’s
first exhibition ‘New Paintings’ until November 17th.

Papageorgiou studied physics and
materials science, worked as a researcher in France, and is a diplomat. It was at a Parisian gallery, almost forty years ago, that he found his artistic
inspiration in front of Henry Michaux’s paintings. Officially, he studied in
the Academy of Arts in Brussels from 1994 to 1999. Before moving to Cairo in
2010, he lived in Beijing between 2005 and 2010.

The artist’s collection of
artwork in Mashrabia Gallery is a visual language of geometrical forms,
colours, and lines, which is typical of abstract art. The paintings are
harmonious and more concrete due to his use of warm Mediterranean colours, which
communicate energy and strength.

On the right side of the
exhibition, you may notice two unframed paintings, which are the only two
acrylic-on-canvas works and also the two most expensive pieces in the
exhibition. The first one, From Beijing to Cairo, seems to reflect a
sort of bridge between China and Egypt both stylistically and personally. The
second one, Standing Up, represents a poppy field and is one of the few
exceptions to the geometrical forms.

All the other works are mixed
media on paper. On another corner, Red Show, Downtown I and Downtown
II show extensive use of paper, which the artist uses as a wall to hide
different images and materials that give life to the paintings.

China notably influences the
artist’s use of paper. As for Cairo, the artist depicts it as a very colourful
city. Among the greys and browns of the buildings and the noise of the busy
streets, he manages to find a powerful driving force that constantly feeds his
work.

When you look at the painting
titled A New Song, you can really feel the musicality of the work and
see the notes coming out of the colours onto the paper. The artist’s sensibility
to music and movement is perceptible in many of his pieces. Even though they
can seem still at first glance, they hide a deeper interpretation, as is noticeable in his piece titled Fayoum.

‘New
Paintings’ is an exhibition composed of 28 works; with six small paintings and the rest in large sizes. All the pieces are for sale, the prices of which are detailed on a handout that is given to visitors.