Press Release No. 21

20 May 2009

A paintings exhibition entitled "A Journey to India"

at the Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture, Cairo

May 31-June 11, 2009

The Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture (MACIC) is organizing an exhibition of paintings entitled "A Journey to India" by Artist Mohamed Abla. His Excellency Mr Farouk Hosny, Minister of Culture, ARE, will inaugurate the exhibition at 7.30 p.m on 31 May 2009 (Sunday) at the Centre (23, Talaat Harb St, Downtown, Cairo).

Artist Mohamed Abla travelled to New Delhi in December 2008. Though the journey was short, it left a remarkable influence on him. “What impressed me a lot in India is the people of India. I kept watching people everywhere there; in temples and small villages close to Delhi. I was also impressed by the colours and odours there. I wondered how Indians have such a mixture of merits including determination, modesty, full self-confidence, strong desire to maintain heritage and traditions and having self-determination to cope with the procession of scientific progress, in fact, this is the true secret behind the survival of India, which nobody could easily recognize in his first visit. During my stay in India, I used to think of Egypt and the people of Cairo and the way they live,” said Abla on his visit to India.

Artist Mohamed Abla graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts, Alexandria in 1978, and held his first exhibition the same year. He has participated in several exhibitions, including Kuwait Biennale and Havana Biennale, Cuba. He is the recipient of several prestigious prizes in Egypt and abroad. Artist Abla is the founder of Fayyoum Arts Centre and the first Caricature Museum in the Middle East.

The exhibition will remain open until 11^th June, 2009 from 10 am to 6 pm daily except on Fridays and Saturdays. All are cordially invited. For further details, please contact the Centre at: Tel: 23933396 / 23960071; Fax: 23936572; e-mail: macic@indembcairo.com