An expressive work by Mohamed Abouelnaga, in which the composition layers handmade paper, calligraphic threads, and archival fragments to form a tactile map of memory. The textured surface evokes worn manuscripts, where time has weathered but not erased. Surrounded by deep, shadowy tones, the artwork preserves fleeting moments—an autograph of memory—capturing what time seeks to dissolve.

Mohamed Abouelnaga

Mohamed Abouelnaga is an Egyptian visual artist, professor, curator, and cultural developer. He holds a PhD in Philosophy of Art from Alexandria University and was the first Middle Eastern artist to receive a Japan Foundation grant for papermaking. His work blends non-traditional techniques, recycled materials, and cultural influences from Africa, India, and Japan.

He has exhibited internationally, representing Egypt at the 2002 Venice Biennale and winning first prize at the 2001 Alexandria Biennale and Danube Video Art Festival in Austria. As a curator, he has led major art events, including the Alexandria and Sharjah Biennales. In 2002, he founded Elnafeza for Contemporary Art & Development to revive traditional papermaking and support rural communities in Egypt.

Artist Abou El Naga is distinguished by his diverse artistic experiments, especially in portraiture, where he reflects his unique vision of identity. His works are characterized by expressive energy and mythical dimensions, recalling Fayum portraits and familiar faces from the past. Every face he paints carries other faces inspired by primitive drawings and ancient deities, adding spiritual and historical depth. He uses various materials such as acrylic, oil paints, and printmaking techniques, with handmade paper standing out as a distinctive feature in his creations.