Wael Darwesh: The Prank

The Prank, the new solo exhibition of the Egyptian painter Wael Darwesh, focuses on the creative process of the artist as he explores few philosophical questions in his work.
Wael Darwesh creates preliminary drawings, playing with lines, color, and geometric forms, then he moves on to what eventually become semi abstract paintings constructed from his state of mind.
The exhibition is the exploration that each individual is solely responsible for giving meaning to life and living it passionately and sincerely.
The Existentialism, the search for the meaning of happiness, in our human and daily lives and the constant questioning if life is really worth living, has been permanently recurrent in his works.

“We are always standing in the middle of the road trying to ascertain where the truth is. We may compromise to reach half way and end with incomplete dreams.” says the artist.
Wael ‘s latest body of works The Prank reflects constantly this state of mind, this questioning by the dramatic expression in the works, the “mise en scene”, a set up for the human figures and the selected colors of his palette well.

Wael Darwesh (b. 1975, Cairo) is an Egyptian artist who lives and works in Cairo. Darwish holds a PhD in Contemporary Painting Philosophy and an M.F.A in Painting and Drawing from the Faculty of Art at Helwan University in Cairo.
Darwesh is a multidisciplinary artist who uses painting, video and installation art to articulate his observations of political and social change in Egypt. The artist describes himself as being in ‘a state of continuous opposition’, taking up his paint brush to express his frustrations at current conditions in Egypt where others might take to the streets.
Darwish has shown in several highly acclaimed group exhibitions including the Maldives Pavillion at the 55th Venice Biennale, (2013), Abu Dhabi Art Fair, United Arab Emirates (2009, 2011, 2012), Art 13 London (2013), 10th International Fine Arts Colony in Hungary (2011) and in the Egyptian Pavillion of the III Biennale of Art Ecuador (2010). Darwish is represented by the Art Sawa Gallery in Dubai and the Safarkhan Gallery in Cairo and holds regular solo exhibitions in Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.