Omar El Fayoumi

Egypt

www.wadada.net/ofayoumi
email: omarelfayoumi@gmail.com

 

Biography

Artist's Statement

When I studied in Russia I was influenced by the art of Russian Orthodox Christian iconography. And frequently the subject of the Russian icon is the Archangel Michael. At the same time, for many years, I was very interested in the famous Egyptian Fayoum Greco-Roman portraits. In 1994, while still in Russia, I began to combine these two interests in my paintings, doing a series of “Fayoum portrait-like” paintings of the Archangel Michael. Then in 1997, when I returned to Egypt, I had a large exhibition of modern “Fayoum portrait” paintings, which was met with much interest.

For the theme of this exhibition, “On A Caravan: East and West Journeying Together,” I decided to painting the Archangel Michael once again in a “Fayoum portrait-like” style. Michael the Archangel is one of the principal angels in both the Christian and Islamic traditions, and is mentioned both in the Bible and the Quran. In the pre-Islamic Middle East, the ancient Christian church in Constantinople, today Istanbul, saw St. Michael as the great heavenly physician. In our times, once again we need a “heavenly physician” to help us heal the divide that exists between peoples and cultures, and to love one other. In Egypt, Coptic Christians placed their life-giving river, the Nile, under the protection of Saint Michael; they adopted the above Greek feast of St. Michael and kept it on November 12. On the twelfth of every month they celebrated a special commemoration of the Archangel Michael. In addition, on June 12, when the Nile river commenced its rising, they kept the day of as an obligation for the feast of "St Michael for the rising of the Nile." Most Muslim commentators view Michael as one of the three angels who visited the patriarch Abraham. This is very symbolic for all faiths.

To enquire about purchasing a painting, please contact email:  info@oncaravan.org