The murals of Alaa Awad
Unlike other graffiti artists, Alaa Awad chooses to paint with a brush and uses acrylic paints rather than using stencils and spray paints. His intricate murals can sometimes take up to a week to make not only because of the materials he uses, but because of the complexity of his designs. Awad paints in a neo-pharonic graffiti style, a style that harkens back to Ancient Egypt. His usage of the neo-pharonic style is meant to draw attention back to rich, old Egyptian traditions. This style aims to remind protestors of their heritage and past to help them stay true to their Egyptian identity. His murals are typically multifaceted and multi-layered with each telling a different story.
Beyond the aforementioned unique style of painting, using a neo-pharonic style aims to return the prominence of graffiti in Egypt. Graffiti has played a significant role in Egyptian villages in the past, when each village had their own graffiti artist. These graffiti artists would essentially be storytellers of the village and would depict important events or celebrations through traditional imagery and symbolism. Many of these same images can be seen in Awad’s artwork today as he bases his works off of famous works of art from Ancient Egypt that may be seen in temples and museums.
Daughter of the Nile 🌹
Egyptian Cultural Center
March – 2019 / PARIS – France
Work shop during the West bank exhibition in Egyptian cultural center in Paris.
Thank very much for my dear friends who made this possible Merci beaucoup la France,
CatSay Catherine Sayous, Marie Grillot, Pascal Pelletier, Valerie Pelletier, Cloé Pelletier, ,Barakat Saleh, Mounir Yewakim, Saleh Tawfik, and special thanks to Marie Christine and D.Nevine Khaled and Mr. Alexander.
All my best wishes for the culture year between Egypt and France.
Noot – Room 039
hotel 128 – 2018
Street Art City de Lurcy-Lévis – France
L’artiste égyptien, établi à Louxor: Alaa AWAD réalise pour la première fois en France, une oeuvre, à Street Art City (à Lurcy Lévis, près de Moulins – 03). Fabuleux lieu de découvertes, d’échanges et de partages entre des visiteurs de toute l’Europe et des artistes du monde entier, venus exprimer leurs talents sur les murs intérieurs, mais aussi extérieurs de ces 70 000 m² de bâtiments, auxquels Sylvie et Gilles ont su redonner vie!!!
Hotel 128 is an exhibition hall for international artists. The Noot Room is inspired by Egyptian cultural heritage, an alluring fusion of both Ancient Egyptian art and the contemporary culture of Sufi festivals in Luxor, Egypt. The ceiling of the room features an inspiration that encompasses the sky and the Zodiac of Cleopatra according to the Ancient Egyptian interpretation, which highlights the fantastic astronomical depictions founds in the Dendara Temple. The walls are influenced and are a unique blend of modern day Sufi festivals and the Ancient Egyptian Opet Festival which was celebrated annually in Luxor.
Special thanks to Corinne Barrois and Street Art City.
Elmermah
El Burullus – 2016
Upper Egypt – Egypt
The symposium El Burullus for mural paintings and a special feature of paintings on boats in 2016 . Exhibition was organized by the foundation of artist Abd Elwahab Abdelmohsen, for art & cultural development.
This is a part of the Sufi festivals in Upper Egypt. The public celebrates by horses, racing, dance and fencing by long sticks, with Sufi music, drummers and pipers. This celebration takes place every year in each town and city, at different times.
Battle of the Sea
Burullus – 2015
Upper Egypt – Egypt
The 2nd Burullus Symposium for murals and a special feature of traditional Pharoanic boats painted by featured artists.
This is inspired by the relief mural on Habu temple of King Ramses III. The Sea Peoples are a purported seafaring confederation that attacked ancient Egypt and other regions of the East Mediterranean prior to and during the collapse of the Late Bronze Age (1200–900 BC).
Since the nineteenth century, this has been one of the most famous chapters of Egyptian history, given its connection with the work of Orientalist Wilhelm Max Müller. Their origins uncertain, the various Sea Peoples have been proposed to have originated from places that include western Asia Minor, the Aegean, the Mediterranean islands and Southern Europe.
Memorial for Maat
Project of Cities of Colors – 2016
Luxor – Egypt
This Mural workshop was an extension of the mural from 2015. The workshop was conducted with the independent youth and students from the Faculty of Fine Arts, South Valley University in Luxor, Egypt. Supported by Egyptian Ministry of Youth.
This Mural workshop was an extension of the mural from 2015. The workshop was conducted with the independent youth and students from the Faculty of Fine Arts, South Valley University in Luxor, Egypt. Supported by Egyptian Ministry of Youth.
Justice
Downstreet Art in North Adams – 2014
North Adams – USA
In North Adams – USA for the gallery MCLA and Down Street Art was created for long wall paintings. It shows in the middle the egyptian goddess of justice ʺMa’atʺ, to left side the fight for the justice and on the right their homage.
As part of “Thebes,” Awad has created an original mural along the Route 2 overpass, which was unveiled on June 26th in conjunction with the 2014 launch of MCLA’s Downstreet Art gallery program. The mural is entitled “Justice.”
It is on Center Street in North Adams. The mural, as well as the gallery opening, mark Awad’s first exhibition and commissioned mural in the United States.
the Cache
„Macht der Machtlosen“ Kunsthalle – 2013
Baden-Baden – Germany
Cache (2013), acrylic on wall. An expression of the society of Egypt, inspired by the heritage and culture of Ancient Egypt and modern life. Depicts the women and Buraq of Sufi culture (horse with the face of a woman).
People wait for a leader (the large portrait of a man), then workers, farmers and soldiers fight Terrorism.
Occupy Utopia
The IMAGES Festival „Occupy Utopia“ – 2013
Copenhagen – Denmark
A special series of murals painted for the IMAGES Festival with the 2013 theme, „Occupy Utopia“. This multi-cultural platform featured over 40 world famous
A special series of murals painted for the IMAGES Festival with the 2013 theme, „Occupy Utopia“. This multi-cultural platform featured over 40 world famous
the missing mural
Egyptian Revolution – 2012
mohamed mahmoud street – Cairo Egypt
Alaa Awad revealed his neo-pharaonic style on Mohamed Mahmoud Street near Tahrir Square in Cairo in 2012.
Elongated figures straight out of a pharaoh’s tomb merge with mythical and folkloric creatures and elements of Sufism to create a grand visual vocabulary that looks both familiar and fresh.
