The Eternal Eye

An exhibition of contemporary Coptic Icons by renowned Egyptian iconographer Magdy William
October 20-26, 2011 (Maadi, Cairo, Egypt)

THE ETERNAL EYE was a contemporary Coptic icon exhibition hosted by St. John’s Church-Maadi, Cairo, that reflects the desire to see the establishment of a new Egyptian society in the wake of the January 25 Revolution that inherently respects and honors religious diversity. The artistic interfaith initiatives of St. John’s Church-Maadi, the international Episcopal Church in southern Cairo founded in 1931 (such as the annual Caravan Festival of the Arts), generate attention from the global media and art world.

The objective of THE ETERNAL EYE exhibition was to encourage a better understanding of Egypt’s indigenous Christian community, the historic Coptic Orthodox Church, which constitutes up to 10% of the population and traces its heritage back to the first century. This significant indigenous Christian presence in Egypt plays a critical role in enabling all faiths to coexist in harmony. THE ETERNAL EYE embraced the new spirit of ecumenical solidarity that was so beautifully illustrated during the Egyptian revolution.

THE ETERNAL EYE, curated by Jessica Wright, exhibited over fifty commissioned Coptic icons by the renowned Coptic iconographer Magdy William. Mr. William, a student of the late Dr. Isaac Fanous, the founder of the school of modern Coptic painting and the initiator of the modern renaissance in Coptic art, has been one of the world’s premier Coptic icon artists for several decades. The icons exhibited ranged in theme from the Biblical stories in Egypt to Coptic saints. 20% of all icon sales went to Egyptian charities.

The exhibition was officially opened on Thursday, October 20 at 7 PM by Bishop Daniel, the Bishop of Maadi and Assistant to His Holiness Shenouda III, the Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church, with the artist Magdy William present.

Special presentations during the week of the exhibition included a presentation on October 21 titled “The Making of Coptic Icons” by iconographer Magdy William.

On the evening of October 24 a lecture was held by Dr. Michael Jones of the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE), titled “The Artistic Restoration of the 6th century Red Monastery: A Visual Presentation”.