Fineart Sector - Biographies

-Fathi Afifi started his journey with art since mid 80`s depending on his serenity liberating himself from the traditional frame in painting, so his works came from the start as genuine, expressing its creator. The source of genuineness is that he expressed himself without any shyness, immitation of others works and this which makes his art serious, genuine, and perfection.

-The shapes of Fathi Afifi sways between 2 poles that are meaning and dynamic in a state of tension, anxiety,and mystery in an expressive framework including human load that includes forming and what is literally, and relates the artist with reality with its
roughness and toughness without wandering in artificial romantic worlds , and making up untruthful beauty.
-Afifi`s eyes are not a camera`s eye, but a critical eye aiming at the extreme use of the image in reality through mixing what is visiual with social memory instead of using it as an alternative that allows the memory to stop at any shape.
- Fathi Afifi wants to present that kind of reality that should not be exactly immitated , and that lies in shapes and manifestations that is worth of presenting its parallels.
-He presents his proof that aims at smashing the absurd reality may be in a critical sarcastic style and may be seen as tangible illusion on flats that make us sometimes feel and chills go through our bodies as the ghosts inside of us have shadows in turn. And that is how we go into Afifi`s world which is mysterious and clear at the same time , and that`s how we find ourselves on the land of Art.
-When we contemplate some portraits, they look like visions coming from the contents of memory and the spring of misery. Thier beauty is not the beauty of real life, but rather a beauty that gives a sense of seclusion; it is a beauty that goes deep inside of the secret of soul and life. The model of beauty for him is a model that comes out of his imagination , it is faces with no relation to reality, and do not represent faces of daily life, but rather a model of his imagination that his lines and areas added to it an expressive load that is unrivaled , and gave it its own depth , exotic charm, and dramatic dynamic.
-Afifi`s soul is the soul of a poet covered by touch of sadness which add to his paintings internal hymns that is its own charm.

Mohammed Rezq
General supervisor of AL Gezera Arts Center
Cairo 1999

Work and labourers in the works of artist Fathi Afifi
-Work is of a huge value, and labourers are its heros who achieve this value. The value of work, struggle of the workers, and various machines have influenced a number of artists in a perfect way; yet with a romantic sense. Earlier in the 60`s with the rising of Egyptian comprehensive ambition, work, labourer, industry and machine were the head of positive productive national picture, and the establishment of heavy industry and highdam were the huge pots where iron were melt and broken in, and gigantic cranes were replanning the mountain and the course of the river for a better future.
-Truss, nuts, cranes, gigantic metal masses overwhelmed the artists of the 60`s, and expressing industry, manufacturing and Highdam in particular became one of the inspirational central tributaries for the Egyptian artist. Contests of art and work, and art and High dam were held which led to a new enterance added to the Egyptian fine style, and at the same time it preoccupied artists like Al Gazar, Al Segeny, Al Razaz, Taher, Al Nashar, Nawar, Al Dawakhly in addition to other artists of this decade whether photographers, drillers or painters.
-The common trend then was to put the labourer in the contest from a communist prospect that would promote the value of the productive labourer. Some other artists flew to sympolism so that the workers appear like heros of myths or astronauts. Some distinguished artists appeared among labourers in steel and castings factories, and they succeeded as artists. Some of them made use of manufacturing atmospheres, others of their experiences in welding iron`s fragments and manufacturing wastes in formation, and others used their technical and professional experiences , and their ability to endure hard workin creating works that has no relation with industry or manufacture.
-Yet, suddenly this topic- work,labourer,human, and machine- retreated from Egyptian fine language, and then completely dissappeard. Then comes artist Fathi Afifi among the hard labourers who endured the heat of molten iron, were shaken by grinding pistons sound, felt their littleness among the huge pipes, steel balls plunged into smoke, steam , and flames. Consequently, he had a special vision about the world of industry and labourers; a vision that shows a human been swallowed by the industry machine with its powerful arms, ruthless jaw, armored legs, and the lights of the unjust in an atmosphere of moisture, haze, and grease,and he is lost and still. Yet, this culture loving artist - as I see him in seminars, theaters , and listening halls - in the spots of light was able to form a ascetic idea to express the human relation with the machine and to bave a way of his own.And it is a pleasure for me that the General Authority for Cultural Palaces has invited him to establish an exhibition in a labourers gatheringat the beautiful city of Asiut, to plant the seeds of ambition among the labourers, and a pleasure in which they can see themselves from the prospect of a creative artist.

Prof. Mostafa Al-Razaz
Head of the General Authority of Cultural Palaces