Latest news with #BarjeelArtFoundation
The National
27-05-2025
- General
- The National
New book details rich life of Inji Efflatoun beyond her time in prison
On the night of June 19, 1959, Inji Efflatoun stood alone on a Cairo street, attempting to hail a taxi. As a car finally pulled over, a group of men rushed her, seizing and forcing her into the vehicle. It was a sting. After months of living in hiding, disguising herself as a fellaha and flitting from house to house, the Egyptian painter and political activist had finally been arrested. Efflatoun's arrest marked a pivotal point. It signalled not only the beginning of her four-year imprisonment but a powerful new chapter in her artistic and political legacy. At Al Qanater Women's Prison, Efflatoun produced some of her most renowned works – paintings that captured the resilience of the incarcerated women and the brutal intimacy of confinement. She also recorded her famous memoirs onto cassettes, which were later transcribed and shaped her posthumous image. Though she recalled, in evocative detail, several phases of her life, it is her time behind bars that remains most closely associated with her name. But, as a new book reveals, Efflatoun's legacy and life were too expansive to be confined to a prison cell. The Life and Work of Inji Efflatoun is a project by the Barjeel Art Foundation, co-published with Skira. It is edited by Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi and Suheyla Takesh, who are the foundation's founder and director, respectively. The book presents, for the first time, an English translation of Efflatoun's memoir. The memoir elucidates several of her key moments. They begin with her early life in the Shubra neighbourhood of Cairo and her time at the Sacred Heart School. They touch upon her early mentorship by Kamel el-Telmissany, from whom she learnt that painting meant 'an honest expression of society and self'. She speaks about her involvement in political groups advocating for women's rights and anti-colonialism. She expresses her heartbreak after the death of her husband Hamdi Aboul Ela, a prosecutor who shared Efflatoun's political ideals and who probably died from injuries sustained during his arrest and torture. She narrates details of her arrest and how she managed to smuggle paintings out of prison. In short, the memoir describes a person who relentlessly defied confinement, whether the bubble of aristocracy, the constraints of gender norms or the physical walls of a prison. It portrays someone as fierce in her art as she was in her politics. For Efflatoun, painting and activism were not separate pursuits but shadows cast by the same flame. The memoir is translated from Arabic by Ahmed Gobba and Avery Gonzales, both former students of Al Qassemi at Yale University. He credits them with initiating the project. 'The book started when Ahmed wrote his final paper on Inji after he discovered that her family was from the same province of his grandfather,' Al Qassemi says. 'But her family were the landowners, and his family were the workers. And so there was this interesting relationship that was happening.' Gobba then proposed translating Efflatoun's memoir into English and began working with Gonzales. 'Initially, we were only going to publish the diary,' Al Qassemi says. The memoir is substantial, taking up a third of the 320-page book, and it is easy to see why it became popular when it was first published in 1993, four years after her death. 'Inji's life is fascinating,' Al Qassemi says. 'She came from an elite background and ended up forsaking all that privilege, choosing to be an activist, to stand up for the rights of the less privileged. She related to people who she fought for. There is no surprise that her book became quite popular, and that she's more known than other artists of her generation.' 'It started as a smaller project,' Takesh adds. 'Then we thought to commission one or two new essays on Inji's life and work to complement the memoir. One thing led to another, we kept discovering people's research, and eventually we ended up with nine new essays.' The essays explore the many facets of Efflatoun's extraordinary life. They examine her fearless activism and how her art served as both a personal outlet and a political expression, often reflecting the intensity of her struggles and convictions. Several essays consider her prescient sensibilities, as well as her active engagement with international networks of solidarity. The essays also touch upon her ties with the Soviet Union and her affinity with Mexican artists, particularly David Alfaro Siqueiros. Her exhibitions are portrayed not just as artistic milestones, but as acts of diplomacy that extended her reach far beyond Egypt. Efflatoun's personal life also finds its way into these essays. They trace the transformative nature of her marriage to Aboul Ela, a union that deeply impacted her, even as it ended in tragedy. Equally moving is her determined effort to learn Arabic – having been educated in French – which is framed as emblematic of her drive to connect with the fabric of everyday Egyptian life. 'We are also republishing three existing texts,' Takesh says. 'Two of them have been translated from Arabic. One of those is actually authored by Inji herself in 1972 as part of her participation in a conference in Tunis. The paper is about Egyptian modernist art, and she speaks about other people's work such as Mahmoud Said and Mohamed Nagy. She also situated her own practice within that constellation.' The book also features an essay by American artist Betty LaDuke, originally published in 1989. Written after LaDuke visited Efflatoun in her Cairo studio in the late 1980s, the piece presents a broad stroke of the artist's life before culminating with an interview that offers a rare, first-hand account of Efflatoun in her later years. Beyond the essay, LaDuke played a key role in shaping the book's visual narrative, contributing significantly to its rich collection of images. The Life and Work of Inji Efflatoun, in fact, draws from several private collections and institutional archives to present a vivid visual record of the artist's life, featuring her paintings as well as rare archival photographs. It is, quite possibly, the most comprehensive publication of Efflatoun's work to date, with high-resolution images that bring out the intricate details and textures of her paintings. As a whole, the book seeks to do justice to a painter who has too often – and unfairly – been reduced to her years in prison. 'One thing we did is expand on the two-dimensionality of Inji,' Al Qassemi says. 'Everything about Inji was about her arrest and time in jail. There were all these missing parts of her life. 'She spent four and a half years in jail, but she lived for many decades more than that. That's why we called the book The Life and Work of Inji Efflatoun. We actually go into parts of her life that have been completely neglected before.'
The National
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
New book unfurls the rich life of Inji Efflatoun beyond her time in prison
On the night of June 19, 1959, Inji Efflatoun stood alone on a Cairo street, attempting to hail a taxi. As a car finally pulled over, a group of men rushed her, seizing and forcing her into the vehicle. It was a sting. After months of living in hiding, disguising herself as a fellaha and flitting from house to house, the Egyptian painter and political activist had finally been arrested. Efflatoun's arrest marked a pivotal point. It signalled not only the beginning of her four-year imprisonment but a powerful new chapter in her artistic and political legacy. At Al Qanater Women's Prison, Efflatoun produced some of her most renown works – paintings that captured the resilience of the incarcerated women and the brutal intimacy of confinement. She also recorded her famous memoirs on to cassettes, which were later transcribed and shaped her posthumous image. Though she recalled, in evocative detail, several phases of her life, it is her time behind bars that remains most closely associated with her name. But, as a new book reveals, Efflatoun's legacy and life was too expansive to be confined to a prison cell. The Life and Work of Inji Efflatoun is a project by the Barjeel Art Foundation, co-published with Skira. It is edited by Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi and Suheyla Takesh, who are the foundation's founder and director respectively. The book presents, for the first time, an English translation of Efflatoun's memoir. The memoir elucidates several of her key moments. They begin with her early life in the Shura neighbourhood of Cairo and her time at the Sacred Heart School. They touch upon her early mentorship by Kamel el-Telmissany, from whom she learnt that painting meant 'an honest expression of society and self'. She speaks about her involvement in political groups advocating for women's rights and anti-colonialism. She expresses her heartbreak after the death of her husband Hamdi Aboul Ela, a prosecutor who shared Efflatoun's political ideals and who probably died from injuries sustained during his arrest and torture. She narrates details of her arrest, and how she managed to smuggle paintings out of prison. In short, the memoir describes a person who relentlessly defied confinement, whether the bubble of aristocracy, the constraints of gender norms or the physical walls of a prison. It portrays someone as fierce in her art as she was in her politics. For Efflatoun, painting and activism were not separate pursuits but shadows cast by the same flame. The memoir is translated from Arabic by Ahmed Gobba and Avery Gonzales, both former students of Al Qassemi at Yale University. He credits them with initiating the project. 'The book started when Ahmed wrote his final paper on Inji after he discovered that her family was from the same province of his grandfather,' Al Qassemi says. 'But her family were the landowners, and his family were the workers. And so there was this interesting relationship that was happening.' Gobba then proposed translating Efflatoun's memoir into English, and began working with Gonzales. 'Initially we were only going to publish the diary,' Al Qassemi says. The memoir is substantial, taking up a third of the 320-page book, and it is easy to see why it became popular when it was first published in 1993, four years after her death. 'Inji's life is fascinating,' Al Qassemi says. 'She came from an elite background and ended up forsaking all that privilege, choosing to be an activist, to stand up for the rights of the less privileged. She related to people who she fought for. There is no surprise that her book became quite popular, and that she's more known than other artists of her generation.' 'It started as a smaller project,' Takesh adds. 'Then we thought to commission one or two new essays on Inji's life and work to complement the memoir. One thing led to another, we kept discovering people's research, and eventually we ended up with nine new essays.' The essays explore the many facets of Efflatoun's extraordinary life. They examine her fearless activism and how her art served as both a personal outlet and a political expression – often reflecting the intensity of her struggles and convictions. Several essays consider her prescient sensibilities, as well as her active engagement with international networks of solidarity. The essays also touch upon her ties with the Soviet Union and her affinity with Mexican artists, particularly David Alfaro Siqueiros. Her exhibitions are portrayed not just as artistic milestones, but as acts of diplomacy that extended her reach far beyond Egypt. Efflatoun's personal life also finds its way into these essays. They trace the transformative nature of her marriage to Hamdi, a union that deeply impacted her, even as it ended in tragedy. Equally moving is her determined effort to learn Arabic – having been educated in French – which is framed as emblematic of her drive to connect with the fabric of everyday Egyptian life. 'We are also republishing three existing texts,' Takesh says. 'Two of them have been translated from Arabic. One of those is actually authored by Inji herself in 1972 as part of her participation in a conference in Tunis. The paper is about Egyptian modernist art, and she speaks about other people's work such as Mahmoud Said and Mohamed Nagy. She also situated her own practice within that constellation.' The book also features an essay by American artist Betty LaDuke, originally published in 1989. Written after LaDuke visited Efflatoun in her Cairo studio in the late 1980s, the piece presents a broad stroke of the artist's life before culminating with an interview that offers a rare, first-hand account of Efflatoun in her later years. Beyond the essay, LaDuke played a key role in shaping the book's visual narrative, contributing significantly to its rich collection of images. The Life and Work of Inji Efflatoun, in fact, draws from several private collections and institutional archives to present a vivid visual record of the artist's life, featuring her paintings as well as rare archival photographs. It is, quite possibly, the most comprehensive publication of Efflatoun's work to date, with high-resolution images that bring out the intricate details and textures of her paintings. As a whole, the book seeks to do justice to a painter who has too often – and unfairly – been reduced to her years in prison. 'One thing we did is expand on the two-dimensionality of Inji,' Al Qassemi says. 'Everything about Inji was about her arrest and time in jail. There were all these missing parts of her life. 'She spent four and a half years in jail, but she lived for many decades more than that. That's why we called the book The Life and Work of Inji Efflatoun. We actually go into parts of her life that have been completely neglected before.'
Arab News
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
‘Gulf Art Movements' exhibition showcases history of Arab creatives
JEDDAH: Art Jameel launched the 'Gulf Art Movements' exhibition on Thursday to trace the evolution of modern creatives in the Arabian Gulf from the 1930s to the early 2000s. The exhibition at Hayy Jameel in Jeddah, titled 'Redrawing the Boundaries: Art Movements and Collectives of the 20th Century Khaleej' opened on May 22 and runs until Oct. 15. It features works by more than 50 artists, drawn from 20 state and private collections, and traces the evolution of modern art movements in the Arabian Gulf from the 1930s to the early 2000s. The 'Redrawing the Boundaries' show explores the emergence and development of key art movements across Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. It examines how artists responded to dramatic shifts in their urban environments and societies while engaging with themes including changing landscapes, public and private spheres, and the rise of formal art institutions. The exhibition includes works from the Art Jameel Collection alongside loans from notable public and private collections, including Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Barjeel Art Foundation, the Sultanate of Oman's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth Collection, and the Sharjah Art Foundation. Featuring over 80 works, the exhibition highlights a variety of influences —from local folklore and traditions to Western modernist movements, as well as Egyptian and South Asian visual cultures. From the calligraphic abstraction of Hurufiyya, an artistic movement exploring the potential of Arabic script, to the experimental ethos of collectives such as The Five, The Circle, and the Shatta Collective, the exhibition captures the innovative spirit that defined a generation of artists. These artists not only shaped national art movements but also worked collaboratively, founded institutions, and envisioned new futures for art in the Gulf. The show builds on an earlier exhibition curated by Aisha Stoby titled 'Khaleej Modern: Pioneers and Collectives from the Arabian Peninsula,' which was held at New York University Abu Dhabi Art Gallery in 2022. In an exclusive interview with Arab News, Stoby elaborated on her curatorial approach. 'They were artists who were not just foundational figures within their practices, who are without question leaders of the art movements within their own countries, but were influential through all these criteria.' 'They were establishing institutions, mentoring, and building movements. So it was above and beyond the artwork.' The exhibition is organized into four thematic sections: 'The Landscape and Public Sphere,' 'Identity and Private Space,' 'Abstraction and Ephemerality,' and 'The Conceptual New Wave.' Stoby said: 'For me what became very pronounced is if you look at the material thematically, with it comes chronologies and with it comes geographies.' 'It seemed eventually that the most natural way that these conversations could come out themselves was by putting it into a thematic structure,' she added. The exhibition opens with a pairing of paintings in the first section, dedicated to landscape and public space. The two works, by Abdulkarim Al-Orrayed and Abdulhalim Radwi, set the tone for a dialogue between cities, histories, and artistic legacies. Al-Orrayed, a seminal figure in Bahraini modern art and a founding force behind numerous art institutions and ateliers, presents a large painting capturing the development of Manama — its houses, buildings, and evolving urban identity. In contrast, Radwi's piece captures the vibrancy of Jeddah's historic district, Al-Balad. His depiction of movement and bustle evokes the city's rich cultural rhythm. Displayed side by side, these works create one of Stoby's favorite moments in the exhibition, 'A conversation between two city centers,' reflecting shared regional experiences through local lenses. The second section, features deeply emotional and historical pieces, including two evocative works by Kuwaiti artist Thuraya Al-Baqsami. Created during the Gulf War, one of them is 'Note to the Invasion' and 'The Parting' of two people who are in love and being separated. It explores themes of separation, loss, migration and resilience. 'One piece reflects the devastation of conflict, while the other speaks to the aching tenderness of lovers pulled apart by war. These artworks do more than document — they humanize a collective trauma experienced across the Gulf,' said Stoby. In the third section, themed around abstraction and ephemerality, another wall greets visitors with three interconnected works. Among them is a piece by Abdulhalim Radwi portraying the Hajj, sourced from the Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art. 'It is an act of symbolic homecoming as the artwork returns to Jeddah, the city it represents. Beside it hangs 'Worshippers Leaving the Mosque' by Abdulrahman Al-Soliman. 'Together, these paintings resonate as a spiritual dialogue between two pioneering artists: one rooted in Jeddah, the other in Riyadh. 'The wall extends further with contributions from Khalifa Al-Qattan and Ali Al-Mahmeed, artists who reflect on the multifaceted ways religion is experienced in daily life across the region,' said Stoby. Finally, on the upper floor — where conceptual and new media works take center stage — a deeply symbolic film by Omani artist Anwar Sonya stands out. Known for his landscapes and cross-border artistic relationships, Sonya here turns his lens toward memory and myth. The work began as a documentary about a prominent woman who led an art institution in Kuwait. During filming, a coffee cup reading foretold she would live a long and dynamic life, only for her to pass away shortly thereafter. 'The project transformed into an elegiac reflection on mortality, folklore, and the unseen threads that bind lives and legacies. It became an artwork looking at her memory,' said Stoby. It portrays 'our relationship to myth, what is real, and what meaning we can hold onto,' Stoby added. Nora Razian, Art Jameel's deputy director and head of exhibitions and programs, said that 'Redrawing the Boundaries' offers 'a compelling rethink of modernism.' Razian added that it adds 'significantly to the study and understanding of a distinct aesthetic that developed across the Khaleej with a focus on the 1930s through to the early 2000s, a time of state formation, nation building and social transformation.' She added that the exhibition 'foregrounds the critical and foundational roles artists played in shaping institutions and cultivating creative communities during times of transformation.'
The National
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Takreem Foundation honours Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi and Shaikha Mai Al Khalifa at Dubai gala
Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi has received Takreem Foundation 's Cultural Excellence award. The Emirati writer and researcher was among a number creative and political figures who were celebrated at a gala fundraiser that took place on Thursday at Jumeirah Emirates Towers. Al Qassemi was honoured for his work in promoting Arab art and culture as founder of Barjeel Art Foundation, an independent initiative established in 2010. The foundation is dedicated to managing, preserving and exhibiting an extensive collection of modern and contemporary works from the region. It has hosted exhibitions around the world and contributed to the global visibility of Arab artists. Al Qassemi has also taught at prestigious institutions, including Yale University, Columbia University, Boston College and American University of Sharjah. His courses often examine the intersection of politics, art and modern Arab history. 'I founded Barjeel Art Foundation about 15 years ago' Al Qassemi said in his acceptance speech. 'It has been an enriching experience that introduced me to our contemporary culture and Arab identity. This joinery revealed an important truth: our responsibility isn't just to share our culture and heritage with the world – we must also share it with one another.' Other personalities celebrated at the event include Shaikha Mai Al Khalifa, who was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award. The Bahraini politician has been a prominent advocate for heritage preservation. In 2008, she was appointed as minister of information, and then served as the country's minister of culture between 2010 and 2014. As president of Bahrain Authority for Culture & Antiquities, she has led several initiatives dedicated to restoring historic sites in the country. She has also worked closely with Unesco in her role as chairwoman of Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage. The late Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz was also given a Lifetime Achievement Award. The Saudi politician, businessman and philanthropist was an advocate for reforms in the kingdom. His son, Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal, received the award on his behalf. A special distinction was also awarded to Pierre Choueiri, chairman and chief executive of Choueiri Group media company as well as to Al Multaqa Literary Salon. Founded in 1998, Al Mutaqa is known for promoting intellectual exchange through discussions on literature, philosophy and art, pivoting these conversations around Arabic novels. The platform is recognised by Unesco and has contributed to the region's cultural landscape by hosting influential literary events, supporting emerging writers, and promoting a vibrant reading culture across the Arab world. The platform's founder and president Asma Seddiq Al Mutawa received the award during the fundraising gala. Takreem was established in 2010 with the aim of bringing Arab accomplishments and achievers to the forefront on a global stage. Since its inception, the foundation has honoured laureates from across the region. Takreem awards ceremonies have been held in cities including Beirut, Doha, Manama, Paris, Marrakesh, Dubai, Cairo, Amman and Kuwait. It also hosts regular galas to raise funds for various humanitarian initiatives. In 2024, the group partnered with Sesobel and Assameh Birth & Beyond – organisations that focus on children's well-being – to raise funds to cover the medical expenses and daily needs for their beneficiaries for a full year.
Arab News
08-03-2025
- General
- Arab News
Iraqi artist Afifa Aleiby unveils new painting of historical women from Islamic civilization
SHARJAH: What do Wallada Al-Mustakfi, Rufaida Al-Aslamia, Dayfa Khatun, and Aminatu have in common? They are all distinguished women in Islamic history that you more than likely have never heard of before. That is about to change thanks to a new painting by the acclaimed Iraqi artist Afifa Aleiby, whose colorful 'A Wonderful World,' pays tribute to 16 noteworthy Muslim women whose names have faded away over time. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ Commissioned by the Barjeel Art Foundation in Sharjah, the painting will be on public display at the House of Wisdom in Sharjah until the end of Ramadan and will later be transferred to the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization. Aleiby's work is a companion piece to a 1988 painting titled 'Islamic Scientists,' by the late Syrian artist Mahmoud Hammad and currently in the collection of Barjeel Art Foundation. In his composition, Hammad highlighted 16 influential male scholars and physicians, including Ibn Sina and Ibn Rushd. 'Exhibited together for the first time, these artworks stand as a powerful reminder of the transformative impact of these intellectuals, both men and women, on the history of Islamic civilization," reads a wall text. The recent unveiling event opened with a panel talk, where Aleiby and Hammad's daughter, Lubna Hammad, discussed the displayed artworks. Aleiby noted some of the difficulties in taking on this open-call commission, including a lack of resources, literary and visual. 'Some of these women have only two or three lines written about their history and role,' she said. In her detailed piece, dotted with symbolic elements (such as the proud peacock and a library of books) and set against a serene landscape, Aleiby depicted notable women of medicine, astronomy, poetry, science, education and military leadership who lived between the 7th and 17th centuries in Africa, Andalusia, India, and the Arab world. One of these figures is Razia Sultana, who was born in the 13th century and went on to become the first and only female ruler of the Delhi Sultanate in India. From the 11th century, there is also a depiction of Safiyya bint Abdullah Al-Riyy, who was a skilled calligrapher and poet in Andalusia. Another Andalusian woman of poetry is the rebellious and liberal Wallada Al-Mustakfi, who formed a literary salon that was a meeting point for male and female voices.
