Cairo cultural scene alive with artistry

EGYPT: Cairo’s cultural scene is flourishing, with initiatives in fashion, music and others booming across the city.

Online magazine CairoScene reports that new arts and culture movements such as underground trap music and graffiti are showing up all over the city, on the walls of downtown streets and various buildings.

Uptown Cairo’s Art Town recently hosted a two-day event where more than 60 of Egypt’s finest artists appeared at the same venue, showcasing jewellery designs, paintings and other crafts, with live entertainment provided by local artists.

Egypt’s ancient history of art and culture goes back millennia and is one of its major tourist attractions. The North African country has a number of internationally renowned artists, including authors.

Ancient Egypt art encompasses paintings, sculptures and architecture produced between the 31st century BC and the 4th century AD. It is very conservative, with Egyptian styles changing remarkably little over time.

Much of the surviving art comes from tombs and monuments which have given more insight into Egyptians’ belief in the afterlife. This has caused a greater focus on preserving the knowledge of the past.

Unlike modern art, ancient wall art was not produced for people to look at but rather for afterlife and other rituals. It includes paintings, sculptures in wood, stone and ceramics, drawings on papyrus, pottery, jewellery, ivories and other art media. |