Egypt

~ Egypt ~ By: Mary Krzystowczyk

Located in Northern-Eastern Africa bordering the Mediterranean and Red Sea, Egypt is the largest Arab country in the world with the official language being Arabic. Egypt is one of the most populous countries of Africa and the Middle East, with a majority of the population living within the countries capital city Cairo as well as along the Nile River. Perhaps most popularly known for its famous pyramids and the Great Sphinx, Egypt is one of the world’s oldest civilizations having emerged from the Nile Valley around 3100 BC. Arts & Culture  Egypt’s general view of arts and education is very much reflective of their culture. As much of their countries history is based on their ancient civilization roots, modern Egyptian art has become driven by an appreciation of such discovered ancient pharaonic works such as the pyramids and the Great Sphinx. Ancient art works are seen as highly figurative as well as symbolic. As many ancient art works have been uncovered from tombs and monuments, there is often a major emphasis on life after death incorporated. Other art forms such as sculptures often symbolize ancient gods and Pharaohs while hieroglyphs consist of an array of pictures and symbols containing specific meanings. In contrast however, it is unfortunate the lack of creativity and art education taking place within educational settings within Egypt.

**Accomplished Artist: ADAM HENEIN ** Adam Henein is one of Egypt’s most famous artists whose interests in art began at an early age. On a primary school history class fieldtrip visiting Cairo’s Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, Henein stated, “Suddenly I had this weird feeling that I was discovering another world, away from the textbooks, physics and chemistry classes and breakfast with the family. A world where you could live and be very happy.” From that day on, Henein began exploring the arts and eventually graduated from Cairo’s Academy of Fine Arts where he was trained as a sculptor. He spent two years in Thebes studying the paintings of pharaonic tombs as well as over ten years traveling throughout Europe gaining knowledge of Egyptian, Greek as well as classical European art. Henein became known for his sculptures as well as paintings as he often incorporated ancient Egyptian themes and traditional materials. “Pyramids, pharaonic kings and sections of hieroglyphs appear in his work, reminding us constantly of Henein's Egyptian identity.” Henein is also the founder of the Annual International Sculpture Symposium in Aswan. Works of Art **The Hawk ** **Sans Titre ** **Rest ** **Thirst ** **Art Organization: ** <span style="color: #640f9f; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 40px;">MAHATAT <span style="color: #bd0fbd; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 40px;">for contemporary art <span style="color: #bd0fbd; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 40px;">

Mahatat is a multicultural mobile art initiative within Egypt and quickly spreading throughout Africa and the Arab World. "Mahatats vision is a world where contemporary art is an essential and visible part of everyday life. In this world, art connects and makes people meet and appreciate their social, cultural, and other differences." Mahatat creates a variety of artistic events within the community; performances include anything from dancing to storytelling, providing paint workshops, as well as public speeches. In-school programs within the Cairo area include assemblies displaying such performances as well as providing dialogue to the students and faculty regarding the importance of artist creativity in culture and diversity. **<span style="font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 220%;">School Art Programs ** //<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 12px;">“All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” // **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">-Pablo Picasso ** <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">Traditional K-12 schools within Egypt are very much neglecting art education within the cirriculum. A local Egyptian newspaper stated, "Our education system today boasts academic ability and a vision for an important future. A hierarchy set in place to achieve a future, with subjects pertaining to the arts at the thin end of a structured spectrum." This unfortunately shows the lack of seemingly importance art education has within the Egyptian curriculum as core subject matters such as mathematics and sciences are taking a much higher priority while programs within the arts are greatly limited. As primary educational facilities contain art programs within their curriculum in which students participate in crafts such as drawings, the art teachers are said to contain limited teaching methods as well as a lack in diversity. //<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #343434; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 12px;">“[Egyptians] lack this culture, this is due to an almost [non-existent] art education in schools and households.” // <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> -**Mohamed Al Tarawy** (local Egyptian artist) **<span style="font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 220%;">Conclusion ** <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 110%;">In comparing Egypt's art education with my own (within the United States), I was surprised to find a vast difference within the curriculums. As core subject matters such as mathematics and sciences are very important in both countries, Egypt has somewhat minimized the importance of developing creativity in the minds of adolescents. In my experience, I was highly encouraged by K-12 teachers to focus on a variety of skill sets to make myself a well-rounded individual. My educational facilities offered such elective courses such as creative writing, calligraphy, theater arts, and much more to gain knowledge in various creative facets. What surprised me most regarding Egypt's art education is the fact that Egypt has such a rich history in ancient Egyptian art which brings tourists from all over the world and shockingly this renowned artistic country lacks such educational competencies within its curriculum. **<span style="font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 220%;">Sources ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">[] [] [] [] [] []