HAUNTING YET BEAUTIFUL, the Fayoum Portraits grip you, and you cannot look back. The faces, with their huge, soulful eyes, give viewers an eerie jolt into ancient times and one is easily able to see the degree of professional excellence artists of yore had reached.

As renowned artist Dr. Ahmed Nawwar explains: “[The credo of the ancient artist] informs and illuminates the Fayoum portraits, directly linking them to their subjects so that, as the ancient Egyptians believed, the soul may faithfully represent its master in the life to come. The strength, presence and technical brilliance of these paintings are clear to see. Looking at the faces we see their eyes sunk into the head like search windows from which the soul peers out, true evidence of the deep importance of the soul in artistic creativity.”

Last month, Nawwar exhibited works that seem to be the result of thousands of years of artistic experience. In his exhibition, Soul of Civilisation, held at the Zamalek Gallery, Nawwar brings the Fayoum Portraits into the modern art era, yet again. In 2000, the artist held one of his most moving and powerful exhibits, a black and white (ink on paper) dissection of the Fayoum art. “It was an attempt to penetrate the depths of their secrets; to bring the soul on a journey back into contact with current events after the passing of a millennium,” Nawwar explains. This time, the artist has opted to go even deeper, dissecting and searching, trying to bare the very soul of civilization.

The most fascinating pieces in the exhibition belong to a series comprised of three works. Choosing the same subject — a lady from the Fayoum Portraits wearing a pearl tiara, necklace and earrings — the works delve into the being of this ancient beauty. Using straight lines that contradict with the soft features of the portrait, Nawwar breaks up the fluid angles with geometrical shapes and figures. Using cool blues and greens to contrast the warm colors of female flesh, the artist builds momentum and tension, focusing attention on the woman’s eyes. It is as if he wants us to see the portrait as he sees it, a gateway into years of civilization, or rather, a look into the soul of civilization. The works are a revelation of shapes, colors and lines, but are also a revelation of cognition.

This is one of the most important elements of Nawwar’s work, especially in this exhibition. Nowadays, more artists shy away from ideas and try to experiment mainly with shapes, colors, lines and forms; but Nawwar comes from that great generation of Egyptian pioneers who believe that art is a medium through which an artist can represent his ideas. This exhibition in particular is an homage to Egypt. Using the Fayoum Portraits, Nawwar reveals how multi-layered and deep-rooted Egyptian civilization is.

Sometimes the portraits dominate the work, sometimes they are small, but they are always crucial. In one work, the same Fayoum lady is drawn in black and white. She is positioned in the top third of the painting; the rest of the work is dedicated to more modern manifestations of civilization. Actual electronics elements (like computer chips and wires) are glued on to the work. Using dark gray and vibrant reds, in addition to sweeping diagonal lines, the artist again creates tension, which is further enhanced by the presence of what seems to be a missile, centrally placed in the painting’s foreground. Is the idea here that wars endanger civilization? A definite possibility.

Ahmed Nawwar

The works are strong, large, and disturbing. Your perception is altered, the way you see the Fayoum Portraits is changed forever, and the way you look at art is challenged. A da Vinci-esque, a bit macabre, and a tad surrealistic, the works are very powerful and moving.

Displayed in one corner is another powerful group of works painted by the artist before the 1973 war. At that time, Nawwar was a war veteran, and one of the top snipers protecting the Egyptian side of the canal during that years of attrition preceding the 6th of October War. Offering young viewers a rare opportunity to see works that have become classics, the paintings reveal the artist’s disappointment with the ravages of war. The colors are dark, and mainly muted earth tones. Where red is seen, it is dark, mixed with black, almost a blood-red, an ode to Nawwar’s lost comrades. Soldiers are enshrined in rectangular-shaped boxes, buried in the ground, which resembles a huge, dark womb. Even in his early works, Nawwar played beautifully with the ideas of contrasting fluid shapes with geometrical lines and forms. The works are dark, and somber, yet give a glimpse into the indefatigable soul of the Egyptians.

Taking pride of place among the old paintings is a new work from the Fayoum series. Using layers of shapes, the painting glows with victory, and the confidence that Egypt has it in its fiber to conquer. A powerful message that will not be easily forgotten.  et