Wael Shawky (Alexandria, 1971) studied at Alexandria University before taking a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia (USA).
Wael Shawky’s work originates in research and journeys undertaken by the artist in his native country and embraces a plethora of techniques and media, ranging from drawing to sculpture, but focusing mainly on film, performance and storytelling.
In the artist’s poetic, these techniques are often combined to create a fairy-tale yet real universe in which elements of traditional Arab culture and images of the contemporary world co-exist: with his gaze firmly focused on current events, the artist embarks on a voyage in order to reinterpret the cultural, religious and artistic features of Middle-Eastern history, creating other fantastic realities that thrive and prosper in imaginary places.
Shawky is renowned for his film trilogy Cabaret Crusades – The Horror Show File (2010), The Path to Cairo (2012) and The Secrets of Karbala (2015) - in which ancient marionettes and puppets become the main characters of the medieval crusades, recounted by the artist from the perspective of the Arab world and the playful lightness of a fairy-tale for children.
Major solo exhibitions of the artist’s work have been held in international museums and institutions including the ARoS Museum, Aarhus, Denmark; Castello di Rivoli Museo d’Arte Contemporanea, Rivoli, Italy; Kunsthalle Bregenz, Bregenz, Austria; Fondazione Merz, Turin, Italy; Mathaf, Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha; MoMA PS1, New York, USA; Tate Modern, London; M Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Fort Worth, USA; Louvre Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE; MACBA, Barcelona, Spain; K20, Beirut, Lebanon; Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah, UAE; The Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, USA; Kunst-Werke, Berlin, Germany; Cittadellarte-Fondazione Pistoletto, Biella, Italy; Kunsthalle Winterthur, Switzerland. His works are displayed in the permanent collections of museums such as Tate Modern, MoMA, MACRO, Mart, The Met, APT Dubai, and the François Pinault Collection, Venice.
Lia Rumma Gallery is delighted to announce that Wael Shawky will represent Egypt at the 60th edition of La Biennale di Venezia. A natural storyteller, Shawky takes historiographical and literary references as starting points for his concentrated narratives, in which he interweaves fable, fact and fiction. Tackling notions of national,
On 12th May 2023 from 8 p.m., Teatro Piccolo “Odeion” – one of the theatres within the confines of Archaeological Park of Pompeii – will host the international premiere of the new film directed by the Egyptian artist Wael Shawky (Alexandria, 1971) entitled I Am Hymns of the New Temples
The exhibition at Mucem (Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations) in Marsiglia provides a fresh perspective on Alexandria, one of the great centres of ancient civilisation, and sheds light on its urban, political and religious organisations. The exhibition also considers contemporary Alexandria, a city marked by constant ecological, social and
This Biennale explores the timeless rituals that have defined Islam from its beginning through to the present day. These rituals are about movement, sound, and invisible lines of direction. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the custodian of the two holy mosques and the sacred landscapes around them, is the spiritual
Lia Rumma Gallery is pleased to participate in Frieze London 2022 with a presentation of works by artists of our gallery roaster including Marina Abramović, William Kentridge, Joseph Kosuth, Ugo Mulas, Thomas Ruff, Wael Shawky, Ettore Spalletti, Gian Maria Tosatti and Tobias Zielony.
