“Naguib was born in Egypt on August 20, 1981. He began his studies in 1998 at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Alexandria and he had the Bachelor Monumental sculpture 2003. The same year he started his Masters in monumental sculpture and he achieved his Master in 2009. And the 3 th October 2014 he achieved the diploma second level in Sculpture from the Academy of Fine Arts in Carrara, Italy that equal to PhD in Egypt.
“Naguib has worked as an assistant and after doctor in sculpture in the Faculty of Fine Arts in Alexandria since 2004. He has also been part of the Egyptian Contemporary Art Movement, since 1998. He had been participating in many symposiums and exhibitions in many different countries and he did receive several awards for his work. He created his works from 1998 to 2008 at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Alexandria. After that he went on creating his art in his own studio in Zezinya, in Alexandria. In 2012 he started to produce his art in the Nicoli Studio in Carrara until 2015 and after he spend 10 months in Steinzentrum Wunsiedel in Germany in trainer ship after PhD from the Union Europe and Carrara academy of fine arts after training of the techniques of granite and restoration painting of stone and to mix the wood with stone.
Also he had a privet crosses in drawing specially models drawing in Carrara Italy and have many visiting to professional art museums around Europe for improving his scale
He is working since 2015 as Dr Teacher of monumental sculpture in the faculty of Fine Arts Alexandria University.
His concept
The philosophy of my work is characterized by several concepts.
” Firstly i believe that the value of a sculpture lies in the fact that it communicates with a viewer in a visual way: the art work generates emotions, either positive or negative, and can provide visual pleasure.´ I believe that you cannot feel or understand the art without actually seeing it. With art you can show something without needing words.
Secondly I do have the ability and the energy that is needed to practice this profession. I feel that creating art is something that's my 'duty' and it is giving me positive energy and satisfaction. I love to spend my time creating new works. And I really like to share it with the audience.
Thirdly I’m deeply interested in history and mythology. For me it is a source of inspiration and my works are often based on it. I can't imagine making art without knowing cultural history, and a deep knowledge of art and also the technical part of producing art. I did do a lot of research in old and new techniques; how to work in stone, marble, bronze and wood. And i do believe it is important to use that in the work. One of the reasons i spent time in Carrara in Italy at one of the most important places for sculptors. A city, described as the 'Paradise for sculptors', where you can find and feel the history of sculpting. Here i learned a lot of different techniques especially for marble and stone.
In Egypt I did do research in the tradition of old wood techniques, and after that I found my own techniques of working in the wood. Also the special technique of coloring the sculpture i developed it myself.
The third element is the hidden treasures behind things. An artist can make you look at things in a different way. Everything i had seen in my life, at art museums and artistic events is stored in my mind like an encyclopedia. I use them as references.
Anything can be a source of inspiration for me, per example the Egyptian culture, which is complex and simple at the same time.
There is a parallel between my art and the way i do see the Egyptian culture. My sculptures do have simplicity in the shape but at the same time they do have much details and motives.
I believe that the ancient Egyptian art is the source for all civilizations that followed after that period. The ancient Egyptians did inspire the cultures that passed through their lands. The Persian, Greco-Roman, Coptic and Islamic cultures took elements out of the art of the ancient Egyptians.
Ancient Egyptians art is full of symbolism and is characterized by simple forms and recurrent motives. I also do apply these elements in my work.
Alexandria is the main source of inspiration for my work because of it is interesting history and the main residential structure, which has made it a unique place in Egypt and a cosmopolitan city where ancient elements blend perfectly with modern Western and Eastern elements, creating an open society in which the arts can flourish.
For many reasons, the history and mythology of the Mediterranean are also an important source of my work. The most important reason is the fact that you can use myths or legends to enrich your imagination, to grasp things you cannot understand with your mind only. Stories can help you understand things better.
Material in itself is not a goal, but rather a means. However, certain materials can really enhance your creativity. I love working with wood, for example, because it can be colored. I also enjoy working with stone, especially marble. I like the simplicity and transparency of marble and it enriches my sculptures. And i like to play with the contrast of the look of the marble and that of the wood in which i add all the motives and colors.
The sea winds affect the painted houses and boats, the surface cracks by the sea salt. Boats and old windows in the area close to the sea in the historical part of Alexandria are covered with many layers of colors and it is showed by the cracks in it. In a way the different colors are the witnesses of the time that passed by. I was always wondering how to integrate the effect of time in my work and tried many different materials and techniques. I'm glad i did find my way of handling the wood and the colors and in my art the element 'time' can be seen by this. Actually to finish a sculpture with the right layers of colors and patterns, it can take a long time. So not only in the subject or motives of my art the history can be seen, also in the techniques i add this theme.