Lawrie Shabibi is proud to present Collision, a solo exhibition by Moataz Nasr, in collaboration with Galleria Continua, San Gimignano / Beijing / Le Moulin.

Nasr’s work engages with the urban surroundings of his native Egypt and translates his observations into a universal language to express human despair and suffering, love and hope. Egypt today faces unprecedented social and political challenges, navigating between the baggage of its past and its desire to move onto a better future. A complex and multi-faceted character, Nasr transmits his concerns of social justice, activism and spirituality, through his engagement with the ordinary people in Cairo and by drawing on traditional forms of cultural expression, including calligraphy, embroidery and Sufi poetry, to explore the relationship of the past to the present.

Using video, installation and sculpture, this exhibition invites the viewer to look within and to meditate on the various strands that make up life in contemporary Cairo and question how, and at what level of consciousness, are we able to transcend the past in order to navigate the present.

About the Artist:

Moataz Nasr is a multi-media artist and cultural activist who employs painting, sculpture, photography and video to explore the fragility and complexity of current social, economic and political conditions. Born in Alexandria in 1961, and currently living in Cairo, Nasr has established himself as one of the leading Egyptian artists of his generation. His solo exhibitions include at Galleria Continua, Beijing 2012, and San Gimignano, Italy in 2006 and 2008; Selma Feriani Gallery, London, 2011; The Khalid Shoman Foundation (Darat al Funun), Amman, Jordan, 2006; and at the Townhouse Gallery, Cairo in 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2004. Nasr has also participated in a number of international exhibitions including the Venice Biennale, Italy, 2003, The Pompidou Centre, Paris, 2005, The Hayward Gallery, London, 2005 and The Mori Art Museum, Tokyo 2006 and 2012.