Installation India ink and acrylic paint on canvas, various sizes 2014
This installation represents what could be perceived as a huge non-linear storyboard or graphic novel. The “narrative” is the result of a random arrangement of small instances, taken out of their context, that are inspired by life events at times, and at other times are completely fictional. The scenes portrayed on the canvases introduce a commentary on society, politics, and religious taboos in a light-hearted and sarcastic way.
“I’ve always found it quite astonishing that white light is formed of red, green and blue lights!”– Person 1: “I have a zit on my ass and it’s killing me!”
– Person 2: “You should put some ointment on it!”– Woman: “Tell me, doctor, is it a boy or a girl?”
– Doctor (to himself): “Dear God!”RGB (1) – 2014“Why?!”“You are such an amazing artist!”“Because shit is not just a piece of crap that comes out of one’s ass! Shit is a way of life!!!”– Woman: “Sometimes, I want to see you wearing certain outfits.”
– Man: “Are you trying to say you don’t like the way I look?!”“What the fuck?!!!”“I will destroy you!”“What made you go there?!!”– Woman: “Why do you hate me so much?!”
– Man: “I don’t hate you! I want you to be happy!”– Man: “Why are you saying that, sweetheart?”
– Woman: “Sweetheart my ass!!!”Who Am I…“By the way, everything you said has no meaning!”“What is this??!”“What are you looking at, you animal?!”“I told you from the beginning we should have gone the opposite direction, idiot!”– Woman 1: “Essentially, we have to admit to ourselves that we have failed!”
– Woman 2: “Of course not!”– Waitress: “What would you like to drink, sir?”
– Man: “That’s really great!”“Get away from me, you animal!!!”“But I have a feeling you didn’t get what I mean!”– Man (right): “What the fuck do you want, motherfucker?!”
– Man (left): “Please don’t use such vulgar language!”“Not like that! You have to turn it around, and then insert it. Otherwise, it won’t get in!”– Woman (left): “I suggest you forget about the whole thing.”
– Woman (right): “But I really want to find true love!”“Mom, fetch me the Tramadol!!”– Woman (right): “We were walking side by side and then he tried to touch the hem of my sleeve!”
– Woman (left): “And then what happened?!”“Yes, this is how it’s going to be whether you like it or not!”– Man: “Do you know that if you mix vinegar with chlorine the result would be similar to tear-gas?”
– Woman: “Why would you mix them in the first place?”“My God! You’ve grown and become so beautiful, Sawsan!!”“Well, I talked to him about it again, but he still didn’t accept!”“Oh my God! What is this strange thing?!”– Person (left): “Don’t step on my foot!”
– Person (right): “You’re the one stepping on my foot!”“Oh, Egypt! You are the greatest country in the world!”– Man 1: “Sing us a song with your beautiful voice, Isaad!”
– Isaad: “Please guys, don’t pressure me like this!”– Father: “Shut up!!!” – Little kid: “Alright, Daddy.” – Mother: “You animal!”– Woman (right): “Shall we do it now?” – Woman (left): “Whatever works for you!”“She might seem angry all the time, but the way he treats her is what leads her to this!”“I went to the kitchen. By the time I came back, she had taken her purse and left slamming the door!”– Man (right): “I can’t find new ideas! I don’t know what to do!” – Man (left): “Alright, but why are you telling me specifically?!”“True, my left arm was cut off, but thank God I have my right arm!”“The revolution will prevail, and you will see!”“My stomach is killing me!!”“My stomach is killing me!!”“My stomach is killing me!!”Fly 1: “Oh my God! All this crap?!” Fly 2: “Let’s eat it!”“Where is this smell of shit coming from?!”“Some might think repetition is always boring, while sometimes it could be extremely beautiful!”“I wonder what would happen if I put my finger inside this thing?!”“Is this alright, Doctor, or do you want me to take my shirt off as well?”“Please don’t leave now! Stay with me for another five minutes!”“Oh please no! Not that thing! It scares the hell out of me!”“I generally like all colors but I can say that red is my favorite!”“You’re such an asshole!!”– Penguin (left): “Wanna bet I’ll fly?!” – Penguin (right): “Don’t do it you fool!!!”“Fuck!!! I lost my passport!”– Man (right): “How did you like Paris?” – Man (left): “I enjoyed it, but the conference was really crappy!”“Nothing!”“What do you mean it doesn’t concern you?!”“You think she left me because I don’t have a chin, or maybe there is another reason?”– Man: “Nature is in danger!” – Woman: “We should all care about it!”– Man (right): “It is quite strange that he put the shelf this high up!” – Man (left): “What’s stranger is the bottle with unknown contents!”“Exactly as I’m telling you: stir one and a half spoons of sugar in a cup of cold water!”“Oh, mighty God!!”“Meow!”“What’s your name?!”“Promise me you’ll love me forever!!”“I swear I won’t do it again, but please let me down!”– Man (right): “Could you please lend me 5 pounds?” – Man (left): “I am so sorry, but I am quite broke myself!”“Kiss me, Mohamed!”“Some might find the shape disturbing, but I think it is totally unidentifiable and could be part of any object!”“Impossible!”– Man: “Just get inside and I will follow you right away!” – Woman: “Alright, but don’t be late!”RGB (1) – 2014“I really regret everything I have done, but what I regret more is everything I haven’t done!”“No, no, no!!! I quit talking politics a long time ago!!”“I swear to God I don’t know anything!”Potato!“No! Of course, I don’t agree with anything you’re saying!”“I am really happy!!!”“It’s ok! I am not upset anymore!”“And of course it is quite clear that this drawing is executed on a hexagonal canvas!”– Man 1: “What do you want?! You’re so stupid!” – Man 2: “Please!”– Running man: “I hope I can make it this time!” – Little guy: “Unfortunately, he’s not going to make it!”“I told you a hundred times he is only drawing me. Why do you make a big fuss about it every time?!”“What are you doing over there, Hassan?!!”– Husband: “Do you remember Hanan’s engagement party?” – Wife: “Yes!”– Kid: “Dad, what does God do for a living?” – Man: “Shut up, you son of a bitch!”– Kid: “Dad, what color is God?!” – Man: “Shut up, you son of a bitch!”“Fuck me!!!”“Go get me the stick, you animal, so that I can beat you with it!!”“Are we going to keep going around in circles?! Let’s get it over with!”– Man: “How do you like the weather?” – Veiled woman: “It’s so damn hot!”– Woman: “I think you are a very polite man!” – Man: “Seriously, fuck you!”“Only for you, ma’am, everything is for free!”– Fly (right): “I don’t like black tea, I think I will go find mango juice.” – Fly (left): “Why don’t you like it? It’s delicious!!”RGB (1) – 2014“I feel really bored! It’s as if I am always looking for something and I don’t even know what!”“Yes, perfect. This is exactly what I want!!” (the text on the wall says “Praise God!”)“Enough!!!!”– Elephant 1: “I want to travel far away and start a new life!” – Elephant 2: “I feel you!”“So, is the power back now, or is it still out?!”– Man: “Maybe if you read Edward Said’s Orientalism, you’d realize I am right.” – Woman: “Excuse me, I think I can hear someone calling me.”“I think the ideas are really good, but the drawing style is really shitty!!”– Woman (back): “I don’t want to see your face again!” – Woman (front): “I warned you! I am not responsible for what will happen next!”“Excuse me! I don’t like anybody to joke with me in such a manner!”– Big guy: “I’m really exhausted! I don’t think I can make it!” – Little guy: “Don’t you dare lose hope! You’re almost done!”“What?! I should go on a diet?!”“But I didn’t mean at all what you understood!”– Woman: “I told you a million times I don’t like that!!” – Man: “I swear to God I didn’t mean it!”“I swear to God I didn’t mean that! I am just trying to pass through!”“Although everything else is quite fine, I cannot understand why my nose is so crooked!”– Cow (right): “I have a bad feeling! Why are they keeping us here and bringing food every day?!” – Cow (left): “You should thank God and just eat!”“And as you can see, ladies and gentlemen, at the top right corner there are two small dots.”“Of course I’m against the Muslim Brotherhood’s constitution!!”– Cock (left): “I’m warning you politely, but if I see you around her again I will knock your head!” – Cock (right): “I swear the whole thing is a misunderstanding!”– Man 1: “I am really sorry, Shukri. Someone has to clean up the mess and bury the body. Farewell!!!” – Man 2: “Don’t do it Saied!!!!”“The question that needs to be asked here is: is the shape of this drawing circular or square?”– Man (right): “Get away from here you bastard, or I will teach you a lesson!” – Man (left): “You won’t be able to do anything!”– Man (left): “The shrink told me I have a chronic depression.” – Man (right): “And what are you going to do?!”“What are you saying?! Cancer?!”“Please excuse me, I can’t hear very well.”“I wanted to say something important, but I cannot remember what it was!”“Yes, Sheikh Hassaballah! I am waiting inside the embassy. Should I detonate the explosives?”“I know you don’t understand how my head got this huge, but I don’t have time to explain!”“By the way, I was a real bad ass back in the day!”
Bassem Yousri 