Painting exhibition featuring China's natural beauty kicks off in Egypt's Opera House

Visitors take photos of a painting during the exhibition dubbed "the beauty of China by an Egyptian brush" in Cairo, Egypt, on Nov. 7, 2020. The walls of al-Hanager Art Center of Egypt's Opera House are ornamented with paintings featuring China's natural beauty created by an Egyptian artist. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

CAIRO, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- The walls of al-Hanager Art Center of Egypt's Opera House are ornamented with paintings featuring China's natural beauty created by an Egyptian artist.

"The exhibition includes 20 paintings of different sizes on the Chinese nature such as mountains, lakes, bridges, houses, etc," the Egyptian artist Abdel-Moneim Moawad told Xinhua.

Dubbed "the beauty of China by an Egyptian brush," the exhibition, which kicked off Saturday night and will last until Thursday, is organized under the auspice of the Egyptian Minister of Culture Inas Abdel-Dayem and Shi Yuewen, minister counselor for cultural affairs of the Chinese Embassy in Egypt and director of the Chinese Cultural Center in Cairo.

Moawad, professor of graphic design at the Faculty of Applied Arts of Helwan University and former cultural advisor of Egypt in Italy, revealed that the idea of the exhibition came from the influence of the ancient and modern Chinese civilization, which he described as one of the most significant civilizations throughout human history.

"Art is a mirror of civilization, and the artist is a mirror of the place where he lives. Artists record history, civilization and the daily life that he lives. That is why I tried to reflect the Chinese culture through art," Moawad, who visited China twice in 2014 and 2019 respectively, told Xinhua.

The artist added that China has a rich history and its people are highly creative, noting that he previously organized an exhibition in China in 2014.

"This time, I want to inform the Egyptian people about China through my paintings. Such events consolidate the friendship between the two peoples," the artist said.

"The exhibition is the first art exhibition by an Egyptian artist on China this year," Shi told Xinhua.

He added that the Egyptian artist visited China last year at the invitation of the Chinese Cultural Center, and had stayed in central China's Henan Province for three weeks, noting that he started to draw the series of "beautiful and wonderful paintings" on China once he returned to Egypt.

"Moawad's works reflect the Chinese environment. Through his paintings, we discover the beauty of China as he portrays the rivers, forests, landscapes and buildings. His paintings represent the life of the Chinese people," Shi said.

The Chinese diplomat added that this exhibition offers Egyptians a good opportunity to get to know China, which enhances cultural communication between the two countries.

For his part, Nabih, the ministry of culture undersecretary for international agreements, said the paintings are breathtaking, adding that the exhibition documents the Egyptian artist's Chinese journey.

"I am one of those who admire and enjoy the Chinese civilization. What distinguishes this exhibition is that the artist emphasizes the Chinese culture and heritage dimension through red colors, temples, boats in the form of dragons and ancient roads in China," Nabih said.