The Eminence of Light

******* PRESS RELEASE*******
The Eminence of Light
Solo Exhibition by
Nihal Wahby
‫إﺷﺮاﻗﺔ‬
‫ﻣﻌﺮض ﻟﻠﻔﻨﺎﻧﺔ‬
‫ﻧﻬﺎل وﻫﺒﻲ‬
Opening with Honorary Guest Artist, Adam Henein
Reception: Sunday March 22nd 2015, 7:00PM
Exhibition runs until April 1st 2015
Open daily from 10AM until 9PM
‫ﻳﻔﺘﺘﺢ اﻟﻤﻌﺮض ﺿﻴﻒ اﻟﺸﺮف اﻟﻔﻨﺎن آدم ﺣﻨﻴﻦ‬
‫ﻣﺴﺎء‬
٧ ‫ اﻟﺴﺎﻋﺔ‬،‫ ﻣﺎرس‬٢٢ ‫ﻳﻮم اﻻﺣﺪ‬
ً
٢٠١٥ ‫ إﺑﺮﻳﻞ‬١ ‫اﻟﻤﻌﺮض ﻣﺴﺘﻤﺮ ﺣﺘﻲ‬
‫ﻣﺴﺎء‬
٩ ‫ ﺻﺒﺎﺣ[ إﻟﻲ‬١٠ ‫ﻣﻮاﻋﻴﺪ اﻟﻌﻤﻞ ﻳﻮﻣﻴ[ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺴﺎﻋﺔ‬
ً
Hanager Art Gallery, Opera House Grounds, Zamalek | For more information: +2 012 0385 5662
٠١٢٠٣٨٥٥٦٦٢ :‫ اﻟﺰﻣﺎﻟﻚ | ﻟﻠﻤﻌﻠﻮﻣﺎت‬،‫وﺑﺮا‬7‫ ارض ا‬،‫ﻗﺎﻋﺔ اﻟﻔﻨﻮن ﺑﻤﺮﻛﺰ اﻟﻬﻨﺎﺟﺮ ﻟﻠﻔﻨﻮن‬
www.nihalwahby.com
/ NihalWahby
The Eminence of Light (Ar., Ishraqa)
Solo Exhibition by Nihal Wahby
Opening Reception: Sunday, March 22nd 2015 at 7:00 PM
March 22nd – April 1st 2015
Impacted by the latest challenges happening in Egypt after the 25th of January Revolution, the current imminent
actual wreckage from the region recorded in the news and social media networks. In her work, The Wreck of Hope
Series, she creates an unreal wreckage of hope where light emanates through the wreck, and hope reappears out
Addressing a world where one has to label the self, label their beliefs to become noticed, remembered, listened
to and judged; a sense of isolation lingers. In a quest for existence, we silently scream our fears and dreams. An
underlying sense of desperation counteracted by the search of hope is what is sought after in The Eminence of
Light. The poetic truth sought in light after darkness allows us to transcend into higher dimensions through a new
beginning, reconsidering our priorities and the values humanity holds in this day and age. The way in which we
dispense the concept of letting go, and that of moving on are explored in the art works: Both reality and dream are
being played with simultaneously.
Details from Folding and Unfolding Series, dimensions variable, acrylic and resin on canvas (2015).
Wahby’s painting installation, All I Have is My Wings, inspired by the Phoenix in Greek mythology and Egyptian
mythology relating to the concept of rebirth and regeneration; and the resin installation Folding and Unfolding,
are new approaches in this collection, assessing the encounter Wahby battles in returning the balance to a new
world order. Folding an undesirable or temporary situation, location or relationship in order to move on into
Knowingly, a new beginning unfolds; and aspiring to the unknown composite of a time yet to come.
Hanager Art Gallery, Opera House Grounds, Zamalek | For more information: +2 012 0385 5662
٠١٢٠٣٨٥٥٦٦٢ :‫ اﻟﺰﻣﺎﻟﻚ | ﻟﻠﻤﻌﻠﻮﻣﺎت‬،‫وﺑﺮا‬7‫ ارض ا‬،‫ﻗﺎﻋﺔ اﻟﻔﻨﻮن ﺑﻤﺮﻛﺰ اﻟﻬﻨﺎﺟﺮ ﻟﻠﻔﻨﻮن‬
www.nihalwahby.com
“My shelter, my paradise in the midst of all the chaos and hectic
present, allows me to return to my roots and reconnect with nature
and the rhythm of the universe.”
From The Tree Series, 100 x 100 cm, acrylic on canvas (2014-15).
“... light emanates through the wreck, and hope
reappears out of the ruins.”
From The Wreck of Hope Series, 100 x 100 cm, acrylic and resin on canvas (2014-15).
Hanager Art Gallery, Opera House Grounds, Zamalek | For more information: +2 012 0385 5662
٠١٢٠٣٨٥٥٦٦٢ :‫ اﻟﺰﻣﺎﻟﻚ | ﻟﻠﻤﻌﻠﻮﻣﺎت‬،‫وﺑﺮا‬7‫ ارض ا‬،‫ﻗﺎﻋﺔ اﻟﻔﻨﻮن ﺑﻤﺮﻛﺰ اﻟﻬﻨﺎﺟﺮ ﻟﻠﻔﻨﻮن‬
www.nihalwahby.com
“All I Have Is My Wings
is inspired by this
concept of regenerating
from the ashes and
rebirth; playing a role
in the recreation of
the world, like the sun
recreates the everyday.”
Left: “Rising” from All I Have Is My Wings Series, 120 x 120 cm, acrylics,
resin and wood installation (2015). Right: Fragment from All I Have Is My
Wings Series, dimensions variable, acrylics, resin and wood installation
(2015).
Biography
Nihal Wahby is an Egyptian artist, born, raised and residing in Cairo. Her work takes the
form of drawings, paintings, and interdisciplinary mediums. She ventures into new media
complementing the vision of each project. Challenging the awareness, identity, and selfrealization, Wahby explores the relation between the physical and virtual realities, and
encourages the participation of interactive art projects whether by direct participation or
creating shared and immersive visual experiences.
A member of the Egyptian Fine Art Syndicate, Wahby was also mentored by the well-known Egyptian Artist
and Writer, Hassan Soliman, who played a major role in her artistic development and transformation during her
early years of practice. She attended several courses in Central Saint Martin School of Art in London in order to
strengthen her awareness on the international contemporary art movement, as well as develop her own skill of
practice in the international genre.
Wahby has curatorial and directorial roles from 1997 until today of The Pharos Art Collection, an important
institutional Egyptian Private Collection in the Middle East which includes works by Egyptian modern masters
and contemporary artists. In addition, she has curated a number of exhibitions for leading Egyptian artists in
2005, 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2014, of those worth mentioning are; Exhibition for the works of the late Hassan
Soliman at Hanager Gallery in 2005, 2006 and 2008 respectively and a few exhibitions in unconventional spaces;
a retrospective exhibition of twentieth century Egyptian Art viewed at Sodic Westown in 2010; a private viewing
of The Pharos Art Collection at the company premises in Cairo, and most recently “Ode to Our True Selves”, a
preview of two emerging artists exhibiting alongside four contemporary Masters.
Since 2006, Wahby has been part of the following group exhibitions; Ibadaa Gallery (2006), General Exhibition
Cairo, Museum of Modern Art (2007), Cairo Atelier (2008), Mashrabeya Gallery (2008), General Exhibition
Cairo, Museum of Modern Art (2008), General Exhibition Cairo, Palace of the Arts (2009), General Exhibition
Cairo Museum of Modern Art (2010), 6 Contemporary Arts Gallery (2013), SODIC Art, Westown Hub (2014).
The current exhibition marks her second solo at the Hanager Art Gallery - Opera House Grounds, since 2012.
Hanager Art Gallery, Opera House Grounds, Zamalek | For more information: +2 012 0385 5662
٠١٢٠٣٨٥٥٦٦٢ :‫ اﻟﺰﻣﺎﻟﻚ | ﻟﻠﻤﻌﻠﻮﻣﺎت‬،‫وﺑﺮا‬7‫ ارض ا‬،‫ﻗﺎﻋﺔ اﻟﻔﻨﻮن ﺑﻤﺮﻛﺰ اﻟﻬﻨﺎﺟﺮ ﻟﻠﻔﻨﻮن‬
www.nihalwahby.com