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Young Academy of Fine Arts graduate Tasneem El Meshad describes her art as “a reflection of the chaotic world, and the dilemma of modern life” which for her as a mother of three remaining devoted to her artistic journey revolves around the unyielding and unenviable balancing act of maintaining life’s daily responsibilities while not losing one’s connection with the “inner beauty of the universe.” Safarkhan is proud to unveil El Meshad’s awaited solo debut, a fitting opening to our upcoming season this October 1 to 22. El Meshad’s participation in the 2021 group show ‘Charisma’ garnered a healthy appetite and appreciation for her deeply pensive and personal painting, bearing all the hallmarks of an unadulterated creative spirit exceedingly rare in today’s hyper-conforming world.El Meshad’s visual language encompasses a potent array of compositional techniques predicated on her reinterpretation of cubist underpinnings which she morphs into something entirely original. Through her self-developed process of minimalist dissection and reassembly, she juxtaposes two- and three-dimensional attributes of her canvases as well as the captivating interplay of both geometric and organic lines. These definitive stylistic traits evident throughout, directly reflect her multidimensional nature as a mother, wife, daughter, artist and most significantly, individual. It is this precious individuality through which El Meshad’s art is borne, and by which she is able to embody these distinct yet indivisible parts of her own personal mosaic.
This collection offers a candid visual diary of El Meshad’s lived and shared experiences. They are meditations around the artist’s most mentally and spiritually meaningful of her life’s travails thus far, a vast spectrum of emotional encounters expressed through art. Oscillating from the agony of losing a parent, to the nostalgia of childhood that lingers like a familiar sanctuary in one’s mind, and the newfound reality of childhood that becomes a mother’s elation and ultimate purpose. Beyond familial ties, yet with an intensely familial bond, the plight of her Palestinian brethren dwell within her as an inseparable part of her being. So close to home and heart, yet seemingly so distant to the world of her sheltered upbringing, theirs tormented by ceaseless conflict and strife, El Meshad feels and depicts their hardships with an abounding intimacy and compassion.
El Meshad’s complexly impassioned and impulsive nature unmistakably shines through in her art’s segmented yet spontaneous orientations, mirroring the duality of her life’s roles, that of the matriarch and that of the artist, respectively. The unique, optimistic, bold and compatible yet contrasting colors that animate her works often materialize as either previously unseen or unfamiliar, and they appear in iterations of both cool and warm tones, another nod to this overarching notion of polarity. A reflection of El Meshad’s journey from childhood to womanhood to motherhood, the playful figures seen frolicking amongst the encapsulating structures in her paintings symbolize her internal dynamic of this parent-artist paradox. Yet significantly, the two-dimensional muse of this carefree young girl seen throughout her works, also reflects the innate child-adult duality that remains the predominant inspirational thrust behind her craft.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
6 Brazil Street, Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt, 11211
