ARTIST SPOTLIGHT - "Art is Life"
- CARAVAN Arts
- 23 hours ago
- 9 min read
An interview with noted Egyptian artist Ayman El Semary
Paul G. Chandler, CARAVAN's president, had the honor of welcoming noted Egyptian artist Ayman El Semary to the summer opening of CARAVAN's "NOAH: A Future Hope" exhibition in New York City, which was followed by the opportunity to interview him about his life and artistic practice.
Egyptian artist Ayman El Semary and Paul G. Chandler in New York City at the Galleries of The Interchurch Center
"Art nourishes the soul. Dedicating myself to it, making it a way of life, heightens my awareness and understanding of the meaning of existence."
-Ayman El Semary, Egyptian artist
Ayman El Semary is an Egyptian contemporary artist, educator, and scholar whose career bridges artistic practice, teaching, and research. He serves as an Assistant Professor of Art Education at Sultan Qaboos University in the Sultanate of Oman, where he teaches painting, drawing, art history, and art education. He earned a PhD in Fine Arts from Helwan University in Cairo, and has established an international reputation through numerous solo and group exhibitions in Egypt, and across the Middle East, Europe, and North America. He participated in CARAVAN's "In Peace and with Compassion" public art exhibition in 2013. His work has been featured in international biennales over the years, and is held in public and private collections throughout the world. He is the recipient of numerous noted awards, and recently completed an artist residency in the United States at 14C Studio in Jersey City. Alongside his artistic practice, he has published research on art education and contemporary painting, participated in academic conferences, and received recognition for his contributions to higher education. His career reflects a sustained commitment to exploring memory, landscape, and the human experience, while mentoring the next generation of artists.
For more information:
-Instagram: @ayman_elsemary7
-Facebook: @ayman.elsemary.442884
________________________
You have said that the landscapes of rural Egypt first awakened your passion for art, and your paintings continue to celebrate the people, memories, and enduring beauty of village life. Looking back, who or what first inspired you to become an artist, and how have those early influences continued to shape your creative work?
Ayman: I grew up in Kafr Shukr, a city in the eastern Nile Delta, surrounded by numerous Egyptian villages. Rural life in Egypt possesses a unique character; the people there cherish art as if it were an innate part of their culture. They decorate everything, from the traditional horse-drawn threshing sled used during the harvest, to transforming old newspapers into shelf liners. All of this exists alongside the inspiring nature of the countryside, the distinctive shapes and colors of the houses, and the timeless, layered elegance of the landscape. The walls of these houses are regularly refreshed to mark joyous occasions such as a wedding or a pilgrimage to Mecca. My father believed in personal freedom, which encouraged me to explore the surrounding villages, stay up late into the night, and witness the vibrant countryside and fields morning and evening. That captivating visual world filled my memory with images, carefully stored within my inner self that would later serve as the primary source for creating non-conventional works of art.
Your work often weaves together memory and the passage of time, inviting us to see more than a single moment. How do you express this in your process of layering, texture, and color?
Ayman: After completing my academic studies, I asked myself a critical question: What did I want to contribute to the world of art? I aspired to be an authentic artist, and to offer something new and distinct from what I had encountered while studying art history and the works of renowned local and international artists. I recall imaginatively seeing the shapes of various animals, birds, and people emerging from the weathered walls of my grandfather's house. I would call out to my siblings to show them these visions, and they would marvel at my discoveries. Drawn to that imaginative world, I sought to portray it in a way that differed significantly from art typically displayed in galleries. The passage of time played a role in the chalky color palettes of those walls, as well as in the scribbles and marks left on them, such as simple tallying marks. My discovery of water-based acrylic paints was instrumental in helping me learn to mix colored earth oxides to create a painted surface that mimicked the aged walls of rural settings. The technique of layering colors allows for scraping, scratching, and the fresh revelation of underlying layers.
Petroglyphs (Rock Art)—some of humanity’s earliest forms of visual expression—appear as an important element in your work. What draws you to create your own version of these ancient marks?
Ayman: During my art studies, I was deeply intrigued by the ancient Egyptians' ability to create a symbolic visual language that could be read and communicated, not to mention their remarkable skill in clearly carving these symbols into hard, stubborn granite using the sunken relief technique. I began working to develop a symbolic language of my own by transforming various rural activities into symbols. I depicted planting, harvesting, and herding—as well as their unique architectural creations such as dovecotes and granaries. Also, their handcrafted rudimentary agricultural tools such as the shaduf (irrigation tool), the plow, and the hand-pump, as well as stages of farming from sowing seeds to germination, and even flocks of birds like the cattle egrets that appear during irrigation. All of this became a symbolic language for me, resembling hieroglyphics, but it was my own language, which I transformed into written texts in my art.
These arduous attempts to create a unique language started to bear fruit when I began to study postmodern art - with its call to dismantle the barriers between historical eras, and allowing artists to explore ancestral heritage. My vision aligned with the study of primitive symbols (rock art), and early humanity’s attempts to create a language and devise a script resonated deeply within me. Observing contemporary artists such as A.R. Penck and his incorporation of primitive art into his work, helped me cultivate my own distinctive world, one rich in potential for creativity and innovation.
The Message and The Message 2, 2025, Acrylic& gold leaf on canvas, 220 x 140 cm
Your paintings have a sense of discovery, as though they reveal themselves with each layer. Do you ever feel that the painting guides you, rather than you guiding the painting?
Ayman: It's a profound question, as it suggests the viewer truly notices the technical practices I employ on the canvas. After applying accumulated layers of color - sometimes reaching up to fourteen layers - the specific color combinations of the underling layers become obscured. The processes of scraping and scratching through these layers inspires in me a constant passion for discovery. Once completed, the surface of the canvas is rich with information and possesses a distinct presence, making it an essential partner in the visual dialogue - sometimes even an equal counterpart in shaping the concept and fostering new areas of creativity. Seeking to be open to flexibility and creative fluidity, and receptive to inspiration, I engage in a process where my experimentation is a continuous dialogue between myself and the canvas until we arrive at the optimal resolution. This approach has enabled me to move beyond formulaic conventions, established norms, and even "taboos" regarding artistic composition.
As a visual artist, you are primarily known as a painter, but you've also sculpted. What inspired you to begin working in sculpture, and in what ways has it influenced your approach to creativity?
Ayman: I was a high-achieving student with a deep passion for visual and applied art such as drawing, painting, sculpture, design, printmaking, and textile art. I had a particular love for sculpture, which initially led me to monetize my skill by creating portrait sculptures to support myself financially. I adamantly refused to copy Orientalist works to sell at low prices, considering it an insult to the art of painting. My journey evolved when I was nominated to participate in international events to create contemporary sculptural works. Engaging with sculpture opened up new dimensions and broader horizons for me, offering deep artistic fulfillment. It presented a unique creative challenge, particularly in the handling of diverse sculptural materials - whether stone, wood, or marble.
Living and teaching in the Sultanate of Oman since 2018 has given you an in-depth experience of another culture within the broader Arab world. How has that experience shaped your artistic vision, and in do the landscapes, architecture, or people of Oman find their way into your work?
Ayman: I have participated in various events across several Arab countries, such as the Doha Painting Symposium in Qatar, a workshop in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and a solo exhibition in Dubai. However, my time in the Sultanate of Oman, has been a specifically significant experience. I have lived there for several years, balancing academic work, artistic practice, and local travel. I’ve been struck by the mountainous landscape that surrounds their cities, rising to towering highs and stretching across vast distances. This inspired me to explore environmental art, leading to the creation of the first environmental art event in Oman titled, "Art and Place." It was held in the gardens of the Sultan Qaboos University under their patronage and featuring a number of Arab and international artists.
My contribution was inspired by the story of Joseph, peace be upon him [found in the Qur’an and Hebrew Bible] and his preservation of food reserves over a seven-year period. Evoking the form of grain silos, the installation was built on-site using eco-friendly materials and textures inspired by the surrounding mountains. It incorporated 49 mud-brick molds - arranged in a 7x7 grid - bearing inscriptions and symbols representing the seven years of abundance and the seven years of scarcity. The installation inspired audience engagement regarding the importance of the local environment, the need for its preservation, and its potential as a source of artistic expression.
How has your spiritual life journey shaped your artistic vision and understanding of life? How has creating art changed the way you understand yourself and the world, and would you say it has drawn you into life’s deeper dimension?
Ayman: When I was participating in the Egyptian Pavilion at the 2007 Venice Biennale, a press team asked me what art means to me. My answer was that art is life. As an artist, I perceive the profound meaning of life – the antithesis of death - and feel at peace with the world, including the vast diversity of humanity and of all life upon the earth. I believe that the more an artist engages in contemplation and immerses themselves in creativity, the more harmoniously they see the world. Art nourishes the soul. Dedicating myself to it, making it a way of life, heightens my awareness and understanding of the meaning of existence.
You have spent your life creating art and helping others create art. What is the most important lesson you would like to pass on to the next generation of artists?
Ayman: Without a doubt I would tell them, “You are the embodiment of generosity; knowledge, learning, and awareness are important ‘weapons’ or tools for facing and overcoming challenges, not for triumphing over one another.” I also hope the next generation learns the importance of authenticity in expressing their creativity.
In a world that often feels divided and uncertain, what gives you hope today?
Ayman: My hope is that humanity will become aware of where we are headed and awaken from selfishness, reflect deeply, and realize that everyone’s existence is vital. We ought to live as a global community sharing our common origins in a way that reflects the progress of our human evolution in steering the course of life.
L to R:
Landscape, 2020, Acrylic on canvas, 50 x 50 cm
The Weight of Culture, 2019, Acrylic & gold lives on canvas, 120 x 180 cm
____________________________________
L to R:
The Home, 2020, Acrylic & gold leaf on canvas, 100 x 100 cm
The Nile, 2017, Wood & gold leaf, 217 x 217cm
Artist Statement on the above work:
"This was part of my project in my recent artist residency at 14C Studio in Jersey City (USA). This body of work is part of Sleepless, a multidisciplinary project exploring the psychological and emotional dimensions of anxiety. Through fragmented bodies and repeated gestures, the drawing reflects a state of inner tension, mental disconnection, and the inability to achieve rest. The project extends beyond painting to include fibre art sculptures, creating a broader visual language around anxiety and its physical and psychological manifestations. Together, these mediums formed a fragmented portrait of the contemporary mind - restless, overwhelmed, and constantly searching for balance."
Comments