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

Established in January 2011 by Cherine Badrawy and Taya Elzayadi, Tache
Art Gallery at Designopolis is an art gallery that promises to bring glamour to the
Egyptian art scene.

Whereas Cairo’s art hub is traditionally based in the Downtown area, Tache challenges
the localisation of the local art scene by luring in new suburban districts.
Catering primarily to the communities of 6th of October City and El
Sheikh Zayed City, the gallery promises to bring the work of Egyptian and
international artists into Egyptian homes.

The gallery is a classy, modern space with a stepped platform for
audiences to attend talks, seminars and workshops on. The overall ambience is
sophisticated yet simple, and is sure to give you that excited stomach-flip as
you would when browsing through libraries and bookshops.

Elzayadi and Badrawy are collectors and art connoisseurs in their own
right; they also have a passion for sharing their love of visual art. They hope
to encourage the work of amateur artists and to give them a chance to compete
locally and internationally. More importantly, Badrawy and Elzayadi are keen to
ensure that Egyptian artists overseas have a place to come home to and exhibit
their work in.

Tache’s owners claim that they want to bring Egypt to the international
art scene – and to bring the international art scene to Egypt; fulfilling this
promise will require a keen eye for budding artists as well as a large network
of contacts internationally, which they are confident they have.

Whereas the gallery space is not as accessible as galleries in Downtown Cairo
or in Zamalek, where casual strollers can walk in; Tache benefits from a good aesthetic.
Pieces are well-displayed and attention to framing and naming is always standardised
and organised. And while Tache has yet to bring workshops and residencies to Cairo
– or even to the suburbs – perhaps future expansions will include more diverse
activities to bring different artists together.

Tache Art Gallery’s opening exhibition featured a lifetime of works by Egyptian
artist and professor Huda Lutfi. Their current exhibition ‘Thawretna Souretna’ features
photographs of Egypt’s recent protests by local artists Laura El Tantawy,
Mohamed Hakem, Alaa Taher and Yehia Alaily.

Visit the gallery’s blog for updates on exhibitions as well as articles, interviews and videos on
artists Huda Lutfi, Nermine Hammam, Khaled Hafez, Samir Fouad and Sam Flores.