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拍品專文
This monumental painting by Hamed Ewais is an outstanding example of the artist’s ingenuity in formulating an artistic language that allowed him to represent his nationalist pride for Egypt. Recognised as one of the leading Modern Arab artists, Ewais is known for his inspiring paintings through which he expressed the sentiments of the Egyptian population, especially the working class. As a pioneer of Social Realism in the region, Ewais’ paintings became iconic images of resistance and political activism.
In America, we are exposed to the epitome of the artist’s striking aesthetics, his exceptional use of symbolism, and strong compositional ability. While Ewais’ paintings are usually ‘tableaux vivants’ of Egyptian characters in settings that reference political events or social realities, his works carry a broader meaning regarding national identity, citizenship, and international politics in the tumulus twentieth century. In this lot, Ewais focuses on the War of Attrition (1967-1970) and highlights Egypt’s pivotal role within this historic period of the Middle East. In this striking composition that stands as a testament of his cleverness. the artist constructs a bold commentary on Egypt’s – and its Arab counterparts’ – strength and cunning military after the Six Day War against Israel. In his painting, Ewais underscores the involvement of outside powers – namely the United States – in Middle Eastern affairs through a tightly constructive narrative that is loaded with symbolism.
Similar to other works such as Al Aabour and Homat al Hayat, Ewais portrays a central figure that pays homage to the Egyptian people, specifically to those who have made their ultimate sacrifice for their country’s right of sovereignty. In America, the central figure is not human, but rather, a machine, a self-imposing mechanical war horse that is a threat to anyone that gets close to it. Capable of any destruction due to its intricate and advanced engineering features – the thick neck, the overwhelming number of buttons and cables, and the threatening spikes that stick out from its right foreleg – the horse is a modern adaptation of the Trojan horse and represents Egypt’s military advancement, as well as its position as a progressive and modern state under the rule of Gamal Abdel Nasser. In this astonishing composition, the war horse towers over a small and pale Statue of Liberty, which the artist manipulated in terms of proportions and colour to underscore Egypt’s ability to overpower the United States – Israel’s ally – and to inspire a Pan-Arabist sentiment in the region. Taking a closer look at the background setting of this scene, we can observe that the artist re-created an Egyptian landscape by including Ancient Egyptian temples and thin, elongated palm. Ewais’ inclusion of these elements further inspires a sense of nationalism and admiration for his native country, as he emphasises that Egypt is also heir to one of the world’s most ancient cultures. Through this politicised message, Ewais is calling for the safeguarding of Egypt’s territory and heritage from foreign powers.
Hamed Ewais was born in 1911 into a humble family in Kafr Mansour, a small rural town in Egypt, yet this did not impede him from achieving a successful career as an artist. In the 1940s, he moved to Cairo where he studied at the School of Fine Arts and the Institute of Pedagogy in Cairo, the latter of which offered a less traditional setting and more innovative approach to the study of art theory and practice. During his studies, Ewais was profoundly inspired by Italian and Mexican Social Realists, particularly by the works of Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros. Concerned with the Egyptian working class and politics, in 1947 Ewais founded the Group of Modern Art, which included fellow Egyptian artists Gazbia Sirry and Gamal El Sagini, amongst others. Together, they advocated for an artistic vernacular that confronted the everyday life in Egypt, challenging the dominating Egyptian Surrealism. With the rise of Egyptian nationalism, Ewais became one of the leading figures in depicting Nasserite ideology. While the artist gained most of its recognition in the Middle East, Ewais has also been highly acclaimed overseas. He is the only Egyptian artist to have received the prestigious Guggenheim National Section Award in 1956, for his painting Labour. Some of his works can be found in Mathaf, Doha, the Museum of Modern Egyptian Art in Cairo and the Museum of Fine Arts in Alexandria.
In America, we are exposed to the epitome of the artist’s striking aesthetics, his exceptional use of symbolism, and strong compositional ability. While Ewais’ paintings are usually ‘tableaux vivants’ of Egyptian characters in settings that reference political events or social realities, his works carry a broader meaning regarding national identity, citizenship, and international politics in the tumulus twentieth century. In this lot, Ewais focuses on the War of Attrition (1967-1970) and highlights Egypt’s pivotal role within this historic period of the Middle East. In this striking composition that stands as a testament of his cleverness. the artist constructs a bold commentary on Egypt’s – and its Arab counterparts’ – strength and cunning military after the Six Day War against Israel. In his painting, Ewais underscores the involvement of outside powers – namely the United States – in Middle Eastern affairs through a tightly constructive narrative that is loaded with symbolism.
Similar to other works such as Al Aabour and Homat al Hayat, Ewais portrays a central figure that pays homage to the Egyptian people, specifically to those who have made their ultimate sacrifice for their country’s right of sovereignty. In America, the central figure is not human, but rather, a machine, a self-imposing mechanical war horse that is a threat to anyone that gets close to it. Capable of any destruction due to its intricate and advanced engineering features – the thick neck, the overwhelming number of buttons and cables, and the threatening spikes that stick out from its right foreleg – the horse is a modern adaptation of the Trojan horse and represents Egypt’s military advancement, as well as its position as a progressive and modern state under the rule of Gamal Abdel Nasser. In this astonishing composition, the war horse towers over a small and pale Statue of Liberty, which the artist manipulated in terms of proportions and colour to underscore Egypt’s ability to overpower the United States – Israel’s ally – and to inspire a Pan-Arabist sentiment in the region. Taking a closer look at the background setting of this scene, we can observe that the artist re-created an Egyptian landscape by including Ancient Egyptian temples and thin, elongated palm. Ewais’ inclusion of these elements further inspires a sense of nationalism and admiration for his native country, as he emphasises that Egypt is also heir to one of the world’s most ancient cultures. Through this politicised message, Ewais is calling for the safeguarding of Egypt’s territory and heritage from foreign powers.
Hamed Ewais was born in 1911 into a humble family in Kafr Mansour, a small rural town in Egypt, yet this did not impede him from achieving a successful career as an artist. In the 1940s, he moved to Cairo where he studied at the School of Fine Arts and the Institute of Pedagogy in Cairo, the latter of which offered a less traditional setting and more innovative approach to the study of art theory and practice. During his studies, Ewais was profoundly inspired by Italian and Mexican Social Realists, particularly by the works of Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros. Concerned with the Egyptian working class and politics, in 1947 Ewais founded the Group of Modern Art, which included fellow Egyptian artists Gazbia Sirry and Gamal El Sagini, amongst others. Together, they advocated for an artistic vernacular that confronted the everyday life in Egypt, challenging the dominating Egyptian Surrealism. With the rise of Egyptian nationalism, Ewais became one of the leading figures in depicting Nasserite ideology. While the artist gained most of its recognition in the Middle East, Ewais has also been highly acclaimed overseas. He is the only Egyptian artist to have received the prestigious Guggenheim National Section Award in 1956, for his painting Labour. Some of his works can be found in Mathaf, Doha, the Museum of Modern Egyptian Art in Cairo and the Museum of Fine Arts in Alexandria.