art

P21 Gallery was proud to present Egypt x Beirut, a small selection of images taken across the mesmerising and ancient land of Egypt during the holy month of Ramadan in 2022, witnessing the humbling and beautiful practise of fasting in the Muslim world.

Ramadan in Egypt is unique, for she is dressed in jewels that are fairy lights, myriads of tiny flags and fringe garlands and kaleidoscopic fabrics everywhere - all coming together in a multi-sensory feast – for the eyes, with the divine smells of food against the buzzing backdrop of everyday symphony of cities – of course with Cairo, the queen of all.

There are two distinctive faces of Ramadan in Egypt, just like the Sun and Moon, they complement each other and merge in a seamless circle. During the day, the myriad of flags, fringes, and fabrics dance in divinity with the wind – perfectly mirroring the eternal motion of its people. During the night, the fairy lights come alive – highlighting public spaces for what they truly are: people’s palaces. 

When the time of Iftar arrives, the whole country stops, prays, and comes together in unity to share food. It is beautiful, selfless, generous, humbling – we are one. We eat together – no matter where are you from, what is your religion – sharing food, smiles, kind words, and love.

In tandem, as the exhibition happened to open on August 4 – how can we not talk about the Beirut Blasts? We must never forget, and in solidarity the least the artist can do is talk about it.



On 4th August 2020, the artist was sitting on a plane flying above Turkey having not the slightest idea of what is happening in the city she was about to descend to. Approaching over the sea, the artist saw black billowing clouds of smoke from up above, huge swirling fumes. Then she saw the endless sea of shattered glass carpeting the streets, riding on glass-water in the taxi amongst the ghosts of buildings, skeletons with no more windows, no more doors. Just rubble everywhere – rubble which meant a lifetime collection of items, HOMES of people, who were now left with little to/and nothing in many cases. Shattered hearts, they were left with shattered hearts – she keeps seeing their shattered hearts.