Contemporary Artist Dirar: On Life, Time, and Humanity
In an unassuming dingy side street in Zamalek, an extraordinary talent is based on the 2nd floor of a seemingly typical Cairo building. Outside the apartment, it is pitch black, but I notice what appears to be an intricate copper wallpaper design on the staircase inside the building, there’s certainly more to all of this than meets the eye. I walk into Dirar’s studio, a contemporary artist who has paintings and installations showcased around the world, with some in the possession of high-grade officials such as Queen Rania of Jordan, a prince in Monaco, the Egyptian embassies of Budapest and Austria, and a recent painting heading to a Greek museum. His studio is a brilliant mess; unpretentious, unfurnished, and is not distracted by anything other than his paintings squandered all over the place, with paint splatter on the walls, floors and ceilings. His lovely assistant walks me into his study where his complete works are showcased; mostly paintings of women, with the detail resting vividly in the brush strokes and colours rather than the faces and figures. Regardless they seemed as though they were at the brink of coming alive! I admired his simplicity and focus before we even got to talking, and despite of his quite notable flair, he didn’t seem to bother with keeping up appearances. For he thrives within his artistic creations, modesty and morals, and speaks with eloquence and kindness.
Source: www.cairoscene.com