yasser rostom - portfolio
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Yasser Rostom is an Egyptian surrealist artist, born in 1971. He lives and works in Cairo. He graduated in 1998 from the Faculty of Arts Education in Cairo with a BFA and completed his PhD in 2005 in Painting. Rostom’s intricate socio-, cultural and political works on paper are a means to critique the hypocritical aspects of our culture or to celebrate the genuine aspects of it. Rostom creates striking and at times bizarre images in his surrealist work, employing extensive symbolism.TRANSCRIPT
YASSER ROSTOM
ArtTalks | Egypt 8 el Kamel Mohamed Street Zamalek Cairo Egypt +20227363948 [email protected] arIalks.com
I Am Drugs. Salvador Dali (1904 – 2009) I Paint Drugs. Yasser Rostom (1971) Yasser Rostom is an EgypUan surrealist arUst, born in 1971. He lives and works in Cairo. He graduated in 1998 from the Faculty of Arts EducaUon in Cairo with a BFA and completed his PhD in 2005 in PainUng. We have been following him since 2010 and we like to dub him the ‘Arab Dali’. Rostom’s intricate socio-‐, cultural and poliUcal works on paper are a means to criUque the hypocriUcal aspects of our culture or to celebrate the genuine aspects of it. Rostom is an encyclopedia in ancient EgypUan history, in EgypUan cultural insights and universal human psychology. Armed with these different studies and with outstanding drawing skills, Rostom creates striking and at Umes bizarre images in his surrealist work, employing extensive symbolism. Highly imaginaUve, Rostom narrates the story of modern Egypt, the Arab world and the world at large, with a profound emoUon and with honesty. Rostom devours influences from many styles of art, ranging from the most academically classic, to the most cufng-‐edge avant-‐garde. Similar to the renown Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dali, Yasser Rostom has a paranoiac-‐criUcal method of accessing the subconscious for greater arUsUc creaUvity. Rostom’s repertoire tackles a variety of topics from banal topics such as gender and love to the more controversial topics such as sexuality and poliUcs. What differenUates Rostom from the Middle Eastern contemporary art crowd is his ‘to-‐your-‐face’ message, supported by outstanding cragsmanship in drawing and brilliant imaginaUon.
Yasser ROSTOM – EGYPTIAN VISUAL ARTIST
Slaves, 2013 Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 130 x 80 cm The ar'st depicts what he perceives as the Arabs growing to become slaves of the USA through oil and religious fana'sm. Search for details: The American cowboy boots with the US flag; a man with a cowboy hat gives ‘water/oil’ in the mouth of a religious fanaUc with a long beard, sifng on a toilet. Dollar signs surround the camels and a barrel of oil sits on a chair. Three women are lying on a red bed, naked, with heads of horses, symbolizing polygamy and love of horses. YR -‐ 101
Les Nouveaux Riches, 2013 Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 130 x 80 cm In this work, Rostom considers Americans or the American government precisely as nouveaux riches (a French expression with a negaUve connotaUon are people without long history, who made a lot of money but misuse this money to show off). The arUst selects a few American poliUcal icons in symbolic ways acUng as a saUre to their history: President JF Kennedy is dressed a la Marilyn Monroe in reference to their rumored affair; MarUn Luther King sits on the famed chair and with the same famed posiUon of Abraham Lincoln; President George Washington runs on a horse. Dollars, guns, gambling rouleIe, the statue of liberty dressed in pin up girl holding a coca cola boIle with the famed Hollywood sign behind, as well as a Las Vegas sign – all show how Americans misuse their new money – guns, sex, gambling and military warfare. YR -‐ 102
The Apple Of My Eye, 2010 Gamal Mubarak’s appeUte for Egypt Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 70 x 70 cm In this work painted three months before the January 25, 2011 revoluUon, Rostom was referring to Gamal Mubarak, son of the president of Egypt at that Ume, was said to be seeking poliUcal power and take over from his father in due Ume. Gamal Mubarak is depicted with half face ready to bite, with angry persistent eyes. The apple, shown as tough rat or dog, is Egypt. Both face each other in a struggle. YR – 126
Farag Foda, 2013 Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 130 x 150 cm In this powerful and disturbing work, we can see Ramses lying on a white coffin with his hands falling on the ground, as he is dying. A paper is aIached to his toe with the words: Arsh Masr – Kingdom of Egypt, in reference to the Pharaohs dynasUes, that for Rostom, conUnue to be in power in Egypt, on symbolic level. In fact, Rostom’s clear message is seen in the leg foot with a military cap and the right foot with the face of a religious fanaUc – referring to the Muslim Brotherhood. For Rostom, he perceives the poliUcal struggle in Egypt to revolve around these two enUUes – the army or the ikhwan. And this is where the Utle of the painUng comes in – Farag Foda, who repeatedly predicted that these two enUUes would be the cause for struggles for decades to come. Below Ramses, we see an old tender woman – half woman, half sculpture. This old woman is Egypt, watching silently as the two fight for power against one another. Meanwhile, three children are on the floor. They show poverty and symbolize a difficult future ahead. YR -‐ 104
All You Need Is A Brain, 2010 Homage to Taha Hussein Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 70 x 100 cm In this work, Rostom pays tribute to Egypt’s pivotal writer Taha Hussein, symbolized by the black glasses, referring to the blindness of the writer. Despite his blindness, Rostom wants to show that he achieved glory and fame, simply thanks to his brain – intellect. We can see a ‘tabla’ – a low table used by poor EgypUans, on which they sit to eat and/or study, referring to poor upbringing of Taha Hussein. YR -‐ 105
A Queen Was Here, 2010 Homage to Om Kolthoum Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 100 x 70 cm In this work, Rostom pays tribute to Egypt’s iconic singer Om Kolthoum, symbolized by her iconic props such as the handkerchief and the way her beauUful hand holds the handkerchief during her famed performances; by the microphone; and the half or third quarter moon, reflecUng from a hole in the ceiling and referring to her famed diamond broche as well as the symbol of Islam. Om Kolthoum stands tall as a Pharaonic Queen, implying eternity and being part of EgypUan and world heritage. YR -‐ 106
Black Candles, 2010 Homage to Saleh Selim Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 70 x 100 cm In this work, Rostom celebrates the famous football player and actor Saleh Selim. Due to Selim’s outstanding fame in football, he was invited to act in three movies, one of which is the iconic El Shoumoue el Sawadaa, hence the name of the painUng, directed by Ezz El Din Zulficar. Five Ume Al Ahly football club president, Selim succeeded in placing Al Ahly as the African Club of The Century and has become an icon in sports history and a hero amongst EgypUans. Rostom here plays with Selim’s career as a football player and the importance of football in the life of the EgypUan people, as well as references the famous movie that is now part of EgypUan cinema heritage, where Selim played a blind man with his dog Roy and actress/signer Nagat el Saghira. The set-‐up of the painUng reminds us of the most famous scene in the movie, where Selim was sifng on a fauteuil. YR -‐ 107
Music in My Mind, 2010 Homage to Fareed El Atrach Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 70 x 100 cm In this work, Rostom pays tribute to Fareed El Atrach, another icon of Egypt’s past and cultural heritage. YR -‐ 108
Samia, 2010 Homage to Samia Gamal Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 100 x 70 cm In this work, Rostom pays tribute to the stunning belly dancer and actress Samia Gamal, another icon of Egypt’s past and cultural heritage. Two men are portrayed – Farid el AIrach and Roushdy Abaza – the two men she loved. Samia Gamal was in love with Farid el AIrach and wanted to marry him, but they never did. Roushdy Abaza was Samia Gamal’s husband. Note how Samia Gamal is standing on a pedestral, high up, while the two men are under her feet. YR -‐ 109
Finding The Lamp, 2010 Homage to Dr Farouk El Baz Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 100 x 70 cm In this work, Rostom pays tribute to EgypUan American scienUst Farouk El Baz, who assisted NASA in landing on the moon. Here Rostom plays on the exploraUon of the moon and linking it to Egypt’s magnificent and advanced past. YR -‐ 110
I Love You, I Kill You, But I will Love You Forever, 2012 Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 70 x 100 cm YR -‐ 111
Family, 2014 Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 130 x 150 cm YR -‐ 112
HearPelt, 2014 Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 130 x 100 cm YR -‐ 113
Lonely, 2013 Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 80 x 130 cm YR -‐ 114
Reversal, 2014 Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 100 x 70 cm YR -‐ 115
Desire, 2011 Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 100 x 70 cm YR -‐ 116
Nineteen Sixty Seven, 2012 Homage to the Naksa Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 100 x 70 cm In this work, Rostom poignantly and sarcasUcally depicts the Arab defeat of 1967 versus Israel. YR-‐103
The Fall, 2007 No ElecSons, I am Staying. Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 100 x 70 cm The Fall of a dictator. The Fall of a President. The Fall of an Oppressor. YR -‐ 117
Fake RelaSon, 2012 Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 100 x 70 cm YR -‐ 118
Men Pay For It, 2012 Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 100 x 70 cm YR -‐ 119
Separate Lives, 2012 Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 130 x 150 cm YR -‐ 120
A Bow, 2014 Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 80 x 130 cm YR -‐ 121
Feelings, 2014 Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 100 x 70 cm YR -‐ 122
Forever and Ever, 2011 Homage to Egypt Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 100 x 70 cm YR -‐ 123
Forever and Ever II, 2011 Homage to Egypt Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 100 x 70 cm YR -‐ 124
Our Leaders, 2012 Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 130 x 150 cm YR – 124-‐2
The RevoluSon, 2013 Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 80 x 130 cm YR -‐ 125
SiVng, 2013 Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 100 x 70 cm YR -‐ 126
Fat BeauSful Women, 2013 Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 110 x 120 cm YR -‐ 127
Fat BeauSful Women II, 2013 Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 110 x 100 cm YR -‐ 128
IkhwanisaSon, 2013 Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 130 x 70 cm
New Egypt, 2012 Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 130 x 70 cm
My Love, 2012 Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 130 x 70 cm
Just Another Mask, 2013 Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 130 x 70 cm
The ConsStuSon, 2012 Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 130 x 70 cm
El Gamaa, 2012 Mixed media on paper Dimensions: 130 x 70 cm
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Founded in 2010, ArtTalks | Egypt has established itself as a highly selective search engine for Egypt’s next generation of contemporary artists and an authority on high quality secondary market works by twentieth century Egyptian masters and many of the most important artists working today. ArtTalks manages the estate of the late painter and sculptor Sobhy Guirguis (1929-2013). Part of ArtTalks income is channeled into an Art Fund to support high potential emerging artists and to finance an extensive educational program aimed at growing the number of art collectors and art patrons in Egypt. We run a yearly curriculum on the history of Egyptian modern and contemporary art and invite scholars from abroad to give talks to the public. Founded by arts patron Fatenn Mostafa, former CEO of Gianaclis Vineyards for Beverages and former advisor to Bozar, Center of Fine Arts in Brussels, Belgium, the gallery is committed to the defense of freedom of art in Egypt and to strengthen Egypt's position on the regional art map.