Tuareg: Public Collection Egypt

Just returned from one of the most fantastic art experiences of my life - the first Egypt art biennale in Sharm el Sheik.

Over 10 days, between 28 November and 8 December, I painted alongside 50 other selected artists from the Middle East and Europe.  We painted in the grounds of the hotel where we were staying, in nightclubs, the town square of Sharm-el-Sheikh where we portrayed whirling dervishes, sharing techniques, collaborating with each other and taking time to chill in the sun. 

I was thrilled to win the Judges’ Prize for the work I did there - portraits of Egyptian signatories, my art dealer, an Egyptian bride I met at the airport. 

And my portrait of this Tuareg I understand is now destined for a Public collection. 

My biggest learning is that we paint from the culture we come from.  If you closed your eyes to the artists as you looked around their works, you could tell the Italians from their palette: sand, sea and sky, the Bulgarians black and red, the Egyptians from their history.  The British were an eclectic mix.