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George Bahgory, one of the region’s most respected multi-discipline artists, opened yesterday an exhibition of his work at Sharjah Art Museum.
In a significant occasion for Sharjah Museum Department (SMD), Bahgory himself introduced the exhibition Lasting Impressions: George Bahgory to an audience of art enthusiasts and journalists.
The exhibition was officially inaugurated yesterday evening by H.E Sheikh Khaled Bin Abdullah Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Department of Seaports and Customs. The opening ceremony was also attended by Sheikh Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi founder of Barjeel Art Foundation, H.E Sheikha Nawar bint Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Manal Ataya, Director General of Sharjah Museums Department, and Alya Al Mulla, Curator of the Sharjah Art Museum.
The Egyptian’s career has spanned more than half a century across disciplines ranging from caricature to sculpture. Running until December 31, the exhibition features 80 of his pieces from his student years in Cairo in the 1950s to his most recent work.
It is the sixth installment of SMD’s Lasting Impressions series, which each year features a different guest artist, and the first time SMD has collaborated with the man known as the ‘Grandfather of Caricature’ for his political cartoons that featured in the Arabic press for decades.
Manal Ataya, Director General of SMD, said:
“There are few artists in this region more significant than George Bahgory in terms of impact and variety of work. He is best known as a caricaturist and political cartoonist, but is also an accomplished painter, sculptor, novelist and actor.
“We encourage the whole community, especially local artists and students, to take advantage of this unique insight into his remarkable breadth of work.”
The collection is split into themes representing periods of Bahgory’s life and his varying artistic styles.
In ‘Early Years’, visitors can see examples of the young Bahgory’s drawings, including sketches portraying his father, who was a school teacher. Bahgory enrolled in the School of Fine Arts in Cairo in 1949. There, he studied under Hussein Bikar, who was one of the leading figures of Egyptian modern art. During the 1950’s, Bahgory worked as an illustrator and cartoonist for Rose el-Youssef and Sabah el-Kheir, until he moved to Paris in 1969, where he would remain for thirty-five years.
The next phase – ‘Rebirth’ – features Bahgory’s work in Paris in the 1960s and 70s as he pursued his artistic studies at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts.
Visitors will perhaps be most familiar with the ‘Caricature’ phase of the exhibition, owing to Bahgory’s reputation as one of the most prominent political satirists of his generation. Personalities of the political, intellectual and cultural spheres in Egypt and the Middle East have all been captured by his lines.
In ‘Experimentation’, the exhibition explores the innovative way Bahgory expressed himself through a variety of media, including drawing, painting,
engraving, sculpture and tapestry. His diversity of artistic styles ranges from cubist, expressionist to surrealist influences. Even with his sculptures, Bahgory does not settle for one single material, but uses bronze, wood and other mixed media.
In the ‘Memoirs of Egypt’ section, Bahgory depicts the country of his birth as a land that appears timeless and unchanged using views of the countryside or scenes of card players sitting around a table in a traditional café. However, he also produced many depictions of the 2011 Egyptian revolution in powerful and expressive works such as The Battle of the Camel.
Bahgory is also famous for his portraits of the legendary Egyptian singer, Om Kulthoum, who is represented on stage in a variety of manners, ranging from expressionist to cubist-inspired styles.
Lastly, the ‘Self Reflection’ phase includes his numerous self-portraits. He painted himself with all medias, all formats and styles. Some of his self-portraits are satirical and humorous, while others express more profound and grave thoughts.
Alya Al-Mulla, Curator of Sharjah Art Museum, said: “What’s wonderful about this exhibition is that it provides an insight into all of the styles and life phases of one of the world’s most multi-talented artists.
“We’re especially proud to be able to bring this exhibition to Sharjah and display many pieces from his early life, as well as the stunning impressionist portraits of many well-known Arab figures.
“This is a rare treat for fans of all types of artistic styles and we’re hugely proud that George personally introduced the exhibition. We’re looking forward to welcoming people from all over the UAE, and beyond, to gain a deep insight into the life and work of such an influential artist.”
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