Russian Delegation Visits ‘Variations’ Exhibition

A delegation from the Russian School in Cairo attended the second edition of the "Variations" exhibition, opened by Cinematographer Mohsen Ahmed.

They were welcomed by artist Magdy Othman, director of the Saad Zagloul Center, and Sherif Gad, President of the Egyptian Association of Graduates of Russian and Soviet Universities.

Eight fine artists participated in the exhibition, including the artist Omar El-Fayoumy, a graduate of the Russian Academy of Arts (RAA).

The delegation expressed its admiration for the artworks as they represent different schools and artistic trends. It also praised El-Fayoumy’s paintings, highlighting his depiction of human faces in his own style.

On his part, Gad stressed that El-Fayoumy is a portrait lover and that shows in his works which are a group of Egyptian archaeological paintings known as "Portraits of Fayum".

Belonging to the Roman Empire era, "Portraits of Fayum" was discovered in many tombs in central and upper Egypt. The artistic approach in the portraits, characterized by a human and emotional dimension, is capable of creating a direct relationship between the viewer and the people in El-Fayoumy’s works.

El-Fayoumy stated that his works in the exhibition from his beginnings in 1981 until 2021 varied between portraits of his close friends in addition to a number of artists who died during the Beni Suef Cultural Palace fire in 2005. His works also dealt with nature such as “Burullus Lake”.

Finally, he welcomed the Russian delegation with sweet words, expressing his happiness over this human contact with Russian friends in Egypt and their interest in pursuing Egyptian art.