Tree & Birds, 2013
Tree & Birds, 2013
A blazing claret and vermilion sky forms the backdrop for this lively tableau, hand woven in pure wool by Mr. Mahrous Abdou. Learn more about his story below.
Pure cotton for the warps and pure wool for the wefts. All dyeing is done at the Art Centre and most of the dye plants are grown in the garden that surrounds the workshops.
W 1.22m x H 1.00m
About the artist
Mahrous Abdou
Mahrous Abdou was born in 1965 in Harrania village.
Mahrous worked on the family farm and attended the local primary school till the age of 16. When Mahrous was 11, he joined the young kids whom came to the centre after school and during summer holidays to weave and play football. Later these youngsters were the group started the second generation weavers with Suzanne Wissa Wassef back in 1972.
Mahrous' father was not at all happy with the fact that his 12 years old son spent more time in the “Art Centre” rather than with him helping in the fields. His father was a farmer and needed all the helping hands of his children. Suzanne reached a compromise with the father so that the young boy could spend half the week in the fields and the second half at the art centre.
His strong passion for weaving was apparent from the very beginning, with a unique geometrical style derived from the plant patterns which he saw in the fields. Mahrous soon discovered the capabilities of the weaving technique which enhanced his style. He is especially skilled at depicting village stories and showing farmer’s in the fields.
Mahrous is married with 4 children.
Collections
Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery, Bristol, UK, Acquired 2009
The Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery, Exeter, UK, Acquired 2009
Nile Ritz Carlton Hotel, Cairo, Egypt, Acquired 2015
Musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac, Paris. Acquired in 2017. Woven at age 12 in 1977.
Exhibitions
"Wissa Wassef Tapestries", Egyptian Art Academy, Rome, Italy, 1884
“Egyptian Landscapes”, The Barbican Centre, London, UK, 1985
“Egyptian Landscapes”, Polytechnic Gallery, Newcastle, UK, 1985
“Egyptian Landscapes”, ArtSpace, Aberdeen, UK, 1986
“Egyptian Landscapes”, City of Edinburgh Art Centre, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, 1986
"Egyptian Landscapes", Brunei Gallery, SOAS. University of London, 2006
"Ramses Wissa Wassef Tapestries ", Nature in Art Trust, Wallsworth Hall, Gloucester, UK, 2009
"Ramses Wissa Wassef Tapestries ", The Coningsby Gallery, London, UK, 2012
"Ramses Wissa Wassef Tapestries", Nature in Art Trust, Wallsworth Hall, Gloucester, UK, 2014
"Ramses Wissa Wassef Tapestries", The Coningsby Gallery, London, UK, 2014
"Egyptian Tapestries", Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens, Belmont, NC, USA, 2017
Publications
Egyptian Landscapes", Yoanna Wissa Wassef and Hilary Weir, 1986
Egyptian Landscapes", Suzanne Wissa Wassef, Yoanna Wissa Wassef and Hilary Weir, 2006
