SECRET HIDEAWAYS
SECRET HIDEAWAYS
Well girls, I’m running two months in a row talking about shopping. I can hear the men groan, while the women are jotting down addresses and phone numbers. What better time than spring though, to find out about some great little shops to make those purchases before heading home for the summer And this month we have one that I think you will all agree needs a visit paid to it soon.
G R A F F I T I
The shop is named Graffiti. It is a hidden corner of Maadi in the back of the Diggle area. If you know where CAC is, and can find your way to Catacombs from there, you are nearly there. Follow down Road 231 past Catacombs on your left, turn right at the next corner again, you should be on Road 232, and now. Our great little shop is at 28d Road 232, and can be easily identified by the murals on the outside of the store, as well as a mosaic sign above the door showing you the way inside Graffiti. Upon entering Graffiti you will be filled with a sense of whimsy unlike any other store you’ve probably found in Egypt so far.
Upon first glance you notice bright paintings, mosaics, dolls, puppets, knick knacks, paper goods such as cards, calendars, bookmarks, prints and frame-able art of all sorts. A deeper look will turn up such goodies as puzzles, children’s games, books filled with ideas for childhood activities, furniture and collectables that are being produced in an effort by one man to preserve a bit of history from this marvelous country we call home while we are lucky enough to live here. It was because of these collectables that I found the most interesting man I’ve had the pleasure to sit and chat with, in some time. Mr. Elhamy Naguib, a graphic designer by trade, and an artist, historian, and collector by choice, has either made every item in this shop himself, or has had a great amount of influence upon it’s creation.
Mr. Elhamy graduated from the faculty of Fine Arts in Cairo in 67, and went on to follow up his love of his culture and the arts developed in Egypt with studies in Islamic Art History at AUC. He has since studies at Utah Valley Community College in Provo to receive his decree in Graphic and Commercial Art. It is with background he is now striving to give graphic art the name he feels it deserves.
I asked him to define graphic art for me. He answered,“ Graphic art is art that people should understand. With graphic art there should be a visual dialog between the artist and the