Moataz Nasreldin
Biography
Moataz Nasr was born in 1961 in Alexandria (Egypt). He
lives and works in Cairo. After studying economics, he
decided to change direction and take a studio in Old
Cairo.
This self-taught artist gained local recognition marked
by many prizes before breaking into the international
art scene in 2001, notably winning the Grand Prix at the
8th International Cairo Biennial.
He has participated in large international gatherings
such as the Venice, Seoul and Sao Paulo biennials and
exhibited in prestigious contemporary art venues. Today
he is considered one of the greatest representatives of
pan-Arab contemporary art.
Showing complex cultural processes currently underway in
the Islamic world, his work surpasses idiosyncrasies and
geographical limits and voices the worries and torments
of the African continent. The feeling of belonging to a
specific geopolitical and cultural context and the need
to maintain a link with his homeland are key elements of
the artist’s life and work.
Art and life are inseparable for him. His childhood
memories, frustrations and the society in which he is
evolving fuel his paintings, sculptures, videos and
installations. His work focuses on Egypt with its
traditions, people, colours, without ever slipping into
the exoticism or creating distance. It appears, on the
contrary, close to everyone’s preoccupations. In fact,
Egypt is just a background, a territory inhabited by
human beings whose fragility is universal, as are
indifference, powerlessness and solitude, weaknesses
inherent in human nature.
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