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Let’s go back in time. Where were you brought up?
In a neighbourhood called Heliopolis in Cairo, Egypt. I spent most of my time with my mom and sister as my dad was always travelling for work. My mom writes poetry and paints. She would always read us her poems in the evening and I would watch her paint all over the house.
So you were exposed to art through your mom? What were some of your first visual memories?
I was always fascinated by the idea of holding a brush and dipping it in colour. When I became aware of texture and colour, my mom would allow me to finish parts of her paintings. Eventually we started to paint side by side with the same colour palette. She never told me what to paint specifically. She always instilled the notion that painting is a noble reflection of one’s inner self.
‘A true artist must strive to become a natural alchemist. The ideal of transformation. I call the process: from dust to gold.’
Laura May
You often refer to Egyptian culture and your heritage as being part of the ‘sublime.’ Can you explain this?
I believe Egypt has achieved what we call the sublime in all aspects of civilization. Our culture has endured death, destruction and multiple invasions. The sublime is the permanence Egyptian landmarks have withstood over such turbulence. To revert back to your previous question, I don’t believe we can progress past a historical point of view if creatives like myself and future generations don’t agree on the common goal in achieving the sublime again. We will only reach a cultural pinnacle if we truly define ourselves as Egyptian, not Ancient Egyptian.
You once told me that you never considered yourself to be an artist in your youth. Has that since changed?
Not at all. I’m aware of the term ‘artist’, but I choose not to consider the sense of self-entitlement it can give you. I don’t have any motivation to call myself an artist because it is an impossible thing to define in its true sense. I think honest art, or just the ability to create is a journey into the unknown. A journey you will never navigate consciously. It’s more about the ability to experience new sensations over time.
Upon immediately entering your home and gallery, one can see that one of your works, entitled Love, are accompanied by soil and palm trees. Can you explain the reasoning behind the process?
The Inflatable Space name came from the underlying importance for my home to be my place of work. My home is a part of the exhibition itself. It’s ‘inflatable’ because it can be an exhibition space, or a bookstore, or a cinema, or all of the above in one. I like to think of it as an architectural triptych. I adapt the space by day and by night. I make my bed every night and disassemble it every morning. The essence of inflatable objects is the fastest way to transform a space. I’m not particularly interested in showing my work in a white wall gallery unless a curator would allow me to dismantle and domesticate the space. I’m not really into things that are ephemeral so whilst the space can be transformed, its location will remain permanent… as long as I can afford for it to remain permanent!
You once told me that you never considered yourself to be an artist in your youth. Has that since changed?
Not at all. I’m aware of the term ‘artist’, but I choose not to consider the sense of self-entitlement it can give you. I don’t have any motivation to call myself an artist because it is an impossible thing to define in its true sense. I think honest art, or just the ability to create is a journey into the unknown. A journey you will never navigate consciously. It’s more about the ability to experience new sensations over time.
Upon immediately entering your home and gallery, one can see that one of your works, entitled Love, are accompanied by soil and palm trees. Can you explain the reasoning behind the process?
The Inflatable Space name came from the underlying importance for my home to be my place of work. My home is a part of the exhibition itself. It’s ‘inflatable’ because it can be an exhibition space, or a bookstore, or a cinema, or all of the above in one. I like to think of it as an architectural triptych. I adapt the space by day and by night. I make my bed every night and disassemble it every morning. The essence of inflatable objects is the fastest way to transform a space. I’m not particularly interested in showing my work in a white wall gallery unless a curator would allow me to dismantle and domesticate the space. I’m not really into things that are ephemeral so whilst the space can be transformed, its location will remain permanent… as long as I can afford for it to remain permanent!
Nightshift
