A State of Contradiction, 2003

Paintings and drawings
2003

This body of work was Yousri’s first attempt to develop his own style. Apart from the formalistic concerns he had at his last year of undergraduate studies, socio-political concerns started occupying his mind as well. This body of work depicts a contradiction Bassem sensed in his surrounding at the time. There was a rise of a conservative Islamic current, while other sections of the Egyptian society seemed invaded by the American culture. For Bassem, this was a signifier for a more important question. Since that time, he has been questioning the definition of the Egyptian identity that has been shaped and reshaped constantly for thousands of years.

Photos ©Bassem Yousri