Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder. Everything possesses its own unique beauty. Beauty has always been a muse that transcends time, culture, and medium. The exhibition Nights With Beauts, currently gracing the walls of Maison 69, Garden 8, invites visitorson a journey through the interpretation of beauty as seen through the eyes of over 40 artists.
Nights With Beauts is an exploration of what beauty is and how beauty manifests itself in our world. The exhibition showcases various artistic disciplines, including paintings, sculptures, photos, and mixed media, each offer a unique perspective and voice. Each artist brought forth beauty from their own background, bringing with them their personal narratives and cultural influences. This diversity presents beauty not as a singular, static concept, but as a dynamic force that evolves and morphs through different lenses.
The exhibition makes you confront your own perception of beauty. This allows you and demands of you to question your own standards of beauty. Each artwork, whether abstract or figurative, exudes beauty- beauty in sensuality, beauty in pain, and beauty in the typically “ugly”. It reframes beauty away from aesthetic harmony and redirects it into social commentary, raw emotion, and at times discomfort.
Journey Into Self-Love:
Salma ElSerafi is one of the many talented artists that participated in the exhibition. ElSerafi recalled a time of diminished confidence in 2020, marked by a deep dissatisfaction with her own appearance. Her path to acceptance unfolded through the meticulous process of photorealistic painting, which she describes as a form of meditation. “The hardest thing to paint is the human face,” she confirms, reflecting on her dislike for her own nose. Yet, through a month-long dedication to painting it, she underwent a profound realization: “I realized my nose is beautiful and I love it.” This revelation not only reshaped her artistic practice but also empowered her to embrace her unique features with newfound pride and appreciation. Her narrative underscores the transformative power of art as a medium for self-discovery and acceptance.
Self-Exploration Through Art:
Another artist is Aya Gamil, whose every brushstroke tells a personal narrative. “My concept for most of my work is focused on my thoughts or anything I go through,” she explains, emphasizing her journey from contemplation to creation. Each piece begins with the meticulous transcription of her inner thoughts onto paper, before being transposed onto canvas. “I write down all of my thoughts and then I transfer my writings into canvas, which turns into paintings.” This transformation not only captures her thoughts and memories but also encapsulates the essence of her experiences. Through the human form and a masterful compositions and colors, she channels emotions into visual stories.
Art As Social Commentary:
Aya Elhussieny’s What is left of my woman challenges societal norms and perceptions surrounding the female form. Her work aims to distort the extensive sexualization depicted in mainstream media, particularly through billboards. They dictate how women should be viewed and perceived. “After society sexualizes woman and looks at them a certain way, all that is left is a very vague or anonymous idea of my body as a woman and womanhood in general,” she explained. Through her photograph, she wants to redefine and celebrate womanhood on her own terms. Her artistic expression serves as a poignant commentary on the complexities of womanhood.