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Painter Perry El-Ashmawi transforms a plain surfboard into a captivating work of art ... all in hopes of inspiring a wave of change.
The concept came about after the 33-year-old Egyptian, who was born and raised in Bahrain, met Hossam Targam, an engineer and surfer in Egypt.
“Hossam’s ambition and goal of making Cairo a beautiful city with streets accessible to women of all ages inspired me,” said Perry who currently lives in Dubai.
“He spoke about young girls walking freely without enduring any harassment, mothers walking with a stroller without any obstacles and older women moving comfortably even in a wheelchair.”
Perry was moved and wanted to contribute to the cause in her own way. Using acrylic pens, she painted Cairo’s map and an image of a woman on Hossam’s seven foot board and called it Oum El Dounia, which translates to Mother of the World. It is an Arabic expression used throughout history in reference to the country’s achievements in religion, culture, science and more.
“The city of Cairo has incredible culture and depth and I also wanted to raise awareness of these with an art piece,” she said.
The surfboard was photographed by her sister Yasmine alongside dog model Yogi the corgi.
While Perry is no stranger to expressing herself on canvases, walls, bicycles and scooters, this is her first surfboard and she says it won’t be her last.
“I’m always open to exploring new platforms with my art because to me art is all about communicating messages, emotions and sharing interpretations,” said Perry who graduated with a Bachelors in Fine Art from Concordia University in Montreal and took part in an art exchange course in Italy.
“Communicating a message is restricted if it’s limited to a canvas in an art gallery. With a surfboard, it’s free to travel the world and be part of different communities that are outside the art world norm.
Perry’s artistic grandmother Alaya Bagneid and supportive mother Eman El-Khouly influenced her a lot.
“My goal in my artistic practice is to spark a feeling by spreading the word of thought or even awareness.
“Art has the power to influence and represent what we see in the world and interpret how the world should be seen. I draw a lot of inspiration from the crossroads of cultures; however, I also stay true to my own engraved values and traditional heritage.” Perry has showcased her work across the GCC and abroad.
In Dubai, she was featured in the seventh edition of the SIKKA Art Fair, the 10th edition of The Sheikha Manal Young Artist Award Exhibition, and the ninth Annual Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival.
In 2018, she conducted art workshops at The Louvre Abu Dhabi for The Sheikha Manal Little Artist Programme where she co-ordinated tailor-made art tours and art programmes for students aged 10 to 15.
Aside from exhibiting in Canada, Greece and New Mexico, she has also been featured in three editions of The Bahrain Annual Fine Arts Exhibition at the Bahrain National Museum. One of her works has even found a permanent place there.
Participating in charitable art exhibitions and auctions, such as Bahrain’s Dream Society Ramadan auction, is also important to her.
“Art for a cause holds a lot of value and being able to share my work for an initiative that spreads an act of kindness and generosity is an honour,” added Perry whose muse is her nine-year-old basset hound Hershey. “Bahrain is initially where my art career started and that is the reason why it holds such a special place in my life. The opportunities it opened up for me motivated me to become the artist I am today. If there is an opportunity to showcase my work there again, I would only be happy to take part.”
For details, visit www.perryelashmawi.com or follow @yazzyash_photography, @yogi.squared and @perryelashmawi on Instagram.
