Hagar Ezzeldin
Visual Artist /ResearcherHagar Ezzeldin is an Egyptian artist based in Cairo. Primarily recognized for her multidisciplinary practice, her works across painting, installation, printmaking, artist books, performance, and video. Her practice is renowned for its exploration of family and domesticity within the context of 1980s Egypt, as well as its investigation of the labor involved in artistic production.
Her work is characterized by its critical examination of representations of the everyday, which delve into the aesthetics of the middle class, employing art as a tool to critically examine and challenge conventional representations of everyday life. Notably, her M.A. project, "Women Visual Representations in Modern Egyptian Art," focused on the ways in which women's experiences are narrated and imagined through various visual mediums, including video art, painting, magazine covers, and illustrations.
Ezzeldin's work has been exhibited at The 44th General Exhibition in Cairo, Egypt; Kunstverein Braunschweig, Germany; Contemporary Image Collective in Cairo, Egypt; and The Museum of Fine Arts, Alexandria, Egypt. Her contributions have also been recognized in publications like "Emergency Index Vol.9" (Ugly Duckling presse/ New York). Additionally, has participated in significant projects such as the BS projects residency program at HBK Braunschweig, Germany, and the 5th International Visual Methods conference: Visualizing the City at Singapore Institute of Technology.
Education/training:
[2014-2017]: MA, Faculty of Applied Arts, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt.
[2016]: Anthropology and art/ Winter semester, The American University, Cairo, Egypt.
[2004-2009]: Decoration Dep./Bachelor, Faculty of Applied Arts, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt.
Selected exhibitions:
[2024] The 44th General Exhibition, Mahmoud Moukhtar Museum, Cairo, Egypt.
[2024] Annual Editions, Kunstverein Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.
[2023] Cleaving The Wind Into Fragments, HBK Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.
[2022] Retrieving Absence, The Contemporary Image Collective ‘CIC’, Cairo, Egypt.
[2021] Rosnama 8 Exhibition, The Contemporary Image Collective ‘CIC’ and Medrar For Contemporary Arts, Cairo, Egypt.
[2019] Domestic Fantasy (1) performance, Museum of Fine Arts, Alexandria, Egypt.
[2019] Studio Rosnama 8 , Medrar For Contemporary Arts, Cairo, Egypt.
[2017] ‘Whole World’ video screening, Videoart. ist video art festival Turkey.
[2017] Thesis Exhibition, Faculty of applied arts-Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt.
[2016] Mohamed Abla Award for Painting Exhibition, Greek Campus AUC, Cairo, Egypt. [2014] Youth Salon, Mahmoud Mokhtar Museum, Cairo, Egypt.
[2014] The 25th Youth Salon, Mahmoud Mokhtar Museum, Cairo,Egypt.
[2012] L’recontres de l'image Festival, The French Institute, Cairo, Egypt.
[2012] Self Portrait Project, Rawabet theatre, Cairo.Egypt.
Residencies:
[2024] Studio El-Takhshina, Goethe Institute, Cairo, Egypt.
[2022-2023] BS-Projects, HBK Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.
[2020] The Institutional Collapse, Artists For Artists Masterclass ‘AFA’, Online, International.
[2019] Roznama 7 Studio program, Medrar For Contemporary Arts, Cairo, Egypt.
Grants:
[2022-2023]. BS-Projects, HBK Braunschweig/Germany, Braunschweig, Germany.
Selected Publication and press:
[English]
Zoe Guttenplan, Emergency index Vol.9, New York: Ugly Duckling, 2020.
Alaa Kouddos Allah, “Middle-Class homes reimagined in new fair” in The Egyptian Gazette (2022).
Ismail Fayed, “ Roznama 8: Art At The End Of The World” in Mada Masr (2021).
[Arabic]
Nahla Hegaji, Maspero The Egyptian National TV and Radio Station, consulted on September,2023.
Medrar TV, Documentation of Retrieving Absence Exhibition (2022), consulted onFebruary,2023.
Yasser Sultan, “٣فنانات يستحضرن وجوها مصرية نسوية بفن الكولاج” in Independent Arabia consulted on July, 2022.
Al Araby, “استحضار الغياب..خيا لات في آلبوم اللاوعي واستعادة لدرية شفيق” in Al Araby, consulted on July, 2022.
Hussein El Hajj, “أنماط مختلفة من التذكر في استحضار الغياب” in Mada Masr, consulted on July, .2022
Nadia Abdelhalim, “استحضار الغياب، في القاهرة يستعيد مقتطفات من جماليات الماضي” in Ashraq Al-awsat, consulted on June 2022.
Professional contributions :
[2019-2021]: Qaaf Laam collective, Member/Researcher, Collective work, Cairo, Egypt.
• ‘Why Do We Form Collectives?’, a writing essay and discussion roundtable moderated by QL collective and hosted at CIC, Cairo as part of ‘Co-Rooms: Notes on Collaboratation’ Curated by Engy Mohsen and edited by Mai El Wakil. 2021.
• Conducting an online Radio program on Radio Al Hara, 2020.
• A Recorded group discussion on the theme of "Working from Home", published by Mada Masr website, 2020.
• invited by "Chat rooms" group to an open discussion that was hosted by "Artist at Work" Exhibition through Khalil El Sakakini website (Ramallah/ Palestine). 2020.
[2018]: Researcher/ Presenting a research, Tawsheesh Festival and workshop, Cairo, Egypt.
[2017]: Researcher/ Presenting a research, The 5th visual methods: visualizing the city conference, Online, Singapore.