Portfolio belongs to Rania Fouad

Examples of my her past works (from 2010 to 2012 )

Captions written corresponds to list of works (item no. 16) in the

Application of Tokyo Wonder site Research Residency Program 2013

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2 2012 Seeing 366x 162 cm oil ,tempera , print

One work consisting of 3 panels ,Left and right panels 162x97cm , Middle panel 162x162cm

( all 366x 162 cm ) . Oil painting ,tempera, masking tape and transfer print (2011- 2012)

Concept behind the work :

Long time ago the monkey figure appeared in Zen paintings as a psychological metaphor to

express a mind state. Images of monkey in the forest alluded to that of a mind that jumps from

thought to thought like a monkey jumps from tree to tree.

There is the Japanese word shin'en 心猿 and it literally means "heart-/mind-monkey" . Shin'en

was used in Zen Buddhism to express the state of being confused and restless.

In addition in Japan, in a place called Nikkō ,there is a 17th century motif carved in a

shrine called Tōshō-gū where three monkeys were combined to form ‛sanzaru ’ ; monkey covering

his eyes (the ‛ mizaru ’見ざる), monkey covering his ears (the ‛kikazaru ’聞かざる) , and

monkey covering his mouth (the ‛iwazaru’言わざる).

The motif was originally there to incite feign ignorance towards anything that is not in the

Tao ( the Classical text of Lao Tzu that has determined the rules of ethical values in the Far

East ) . Although the objective of the sanzaru is to protect human beings from moral

distraction, the motif is still -in a certain way- an enforced code of silence ; ordering

people not to hear ,not to see and not to argue about anything the is not in the Tao.

For ‛Seeing’I made a painting out of an old post card representing Nikkō's sanzaru ; the

kikazaru and the iwazaru in the 2 side panels, huge monkey face painted in the middle .

The Japanese viewer who is familiar with the sanzaru would expect this monkey in the middle to

be covering its eyes ..but it is not . I changed the original motif to reflect on the political

situation that is in my country and represent the state of mind of the Egyptian people in the

years 2011-2012 ; revolting against a regime that has imposed its rules for so long ,

contradicting the very rule of “don't contradict”

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"Seeing" when exhibited in Tsukuba Art Museum 2012

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"Seeing" when exhibited in Tsukuba Art Museum 2012

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4 2011 Fata7 Mu5ak

Washi ,transfer print ,drawing with masking tape on canvas 53×45.5 cm . 2011

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Other paintings/ drawings/monoprints in the same series Fatah Mu5ak :

a b

c d

a- Pastel,graphite and collage on paper .53×45.5 cm . 2011.

b- mono print ,iwa enogu (Japanese powdered mineral pigments ) on paper .53×45.5 cm .2011.

c- Gohun(shell powder used in Japanese style painting ),sumi and mono print on washi.

53×45.5 cm . 2011.

d -Transfer print ,drawing with masking tape on canvas .53×45.5 cm . 2011.

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Concept :

After the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 2011 , the Atomic crises in Fukushima

followed .I could feel some of my Japanese friends were not sure if they were being informed

about the real situation concerning radioisotopes in air or water or both , concerning the

basic things that might affect their lives .

I could feel a tension very similar to the one pervading in my country then (we didn't trust

the media very much, we doubted if peoples' lives were being put at stake for the sake of

political considerations that has nothing to do with us ) .

I then had the chance to participate in a certain event called ‛Artists Action For Japan’ in

which my drawings were supposed to be purchased by Japanese people whom I have never met and

probably won't meet again . The idea of the project "Fata7 Mu5ak" ( فتح مخك )started in this

gathering and I created a series of drawings , paintings and mono prints based on this Arabic

idiom that sums up a lot of meaning in 2 words: ( it says you have to be very careful.. Don't

rely on others to get the information you need ..Use your mind )

Like a message speaking to someone from far away ,I did it for those who will get the paintings

as well as for myself.

Artist 's Action for Japan . A public event in which I started "Fata7 Mu5ak " ( place Tsukuba city – Ibaraki prefecture – Japan 2011 )

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1 2012 Jizō on the wall work in public space include photographing , painting and videotaping in public space

(Japan / Chiba prefecture - Egypt / Cairo)

Concept

This is a work that was presented in a workshop of art in public space .It involved painting

and printing little images of(Jizō ) in the streets of Cairo with a video camera turned on to

record peoples' casual reaction towards a motif that looks out of context , coming from a

totally different culture .

With these records I wanted to create a set of freewheeling video films ..based on

improvisation , unpredictability, and spontaneity .. In these videos nothing was desired and,

thus all outcomes were perfect.

One short film can be accessed in this website :

http://raniafouadahmed.multiply.com/video/item/9

Project and video was presented in Rawabet art Space ( Townhouse )on the 5th of June 2012

Statement :

Living there I had the feeling that I existed in 2 different places ; my mind was going back

and forth .

In my paintings I was working as if drawing lines between here and there. I borrowed motifs

related to Japanese culture. I used it in a different context , reflecting on the situation in

my country. Here I continue to do the same , not on canvases however, but on the trees and on

the walls of the streets. I used the photographs I have been taking of Jizō since 2 years ago.

An old Japanese deity whose statues are common sight in roadsides and grave yards . In Japanese

mythology they say he protects women , lonely travelers and abandoned children (aborted fetuses

and the miscarried). I called him God of small things like in the book of Arundhati Roi. In

Cairo I dispersed photos of Jizō on the walls and trees of slum areas... Places of a growing

population that has been abandoned –for so long- by others .

My plan is to go astray , stay in one place for some time and go with the figure imprinted,

painted, gilded on the worn out walls ,vulnerable to erosion and hundred inevitable layers of

misinterpretations . ..............

Jizō was destroyed 3 times so he never stayed in the street for so long .. It is sad but I

totally understand . The effort done was not to please myself by leaving a nice durable artwork

in the middle of the street but to be open to the casual chances that might occur while I am

painting it. I have to say that my stubborn will to restore the image every time it got

destroyed drew me closer to the heart of the passing children . I understood they had to work

all day long in the ″warsha‶ doing pottery .It was my pleasure that my presence ( and their

curiosity) allowed them to get some rest .

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Presention of JisŌ on the wall in a public Space workshop

(place : Rawabet art Space- Townhouse- Cairo . time: 5th of June 2012)

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Photographs used in “Jizō on the wall” art project . Analog photography taken with a 35mm camera (place :Chiba

prefecture . Japan .time: May 2011 )

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Still images from a video that documents making process

Printing / gilding Jisō figure on the trees - Cairo - 2012

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Her space painting series

Concept

Trying to go beyond facial features and portray the space people keep in their head I did a

series of paintings with the title "Her Space" .. The idea evolved first when I was making a

human-sized painting of a doll. The doll was standing - as it is usually the case for Japanese

traditional dolls– in a glass box. Me and the doll were standing in the same room we were

actually sharing the same space , but within this huge space I thought the doll kept another

one that A one that is only hers ..

5 2011 space – in my head 130.3x97 cm Acrylic –transfer print

space - in my head . Transfer print , tape , acrylic on canvas mounted over wooden panel. 130.3x97 cm . 2011

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6 2011 Telling 130.3 x 130.3 cm oil ,tempera , print

Telling . Oil painting, masking tape and transfer print on Canvas mounted on wooden panel . 133x 133 cm .2011 .

3 2012 Her space - Virtual 162x162 cm oil ,print , mask tape

Her space – virtual . Masking tape , transfer print ,acrylic ,oil paint , silver leaf . 162x162cm.2012.

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Making stage of Telling , Her Space – Virtual , Space –in my head

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7- 2011 Her Space – Mother 130.3 x 97 cm oil acrylic print .

Her Space - Mother . Washi ,transfer print and acrylic paint on canvas mounted over wooden panel . 130.3 x 97cm .

2011

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8- 2010 Her Space – portrait of Gondou Naoko 182 x 97 cm oil , acrylic

Her Space - portrait of Gondou Naoko .Drawing with masking tape, oil paint and acrylic on wooden panel. 182x 97cm .

2010 .

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Two of my paintings exhibited in Tsukuba Art Museum including "Her Space - portrait of Gondou Naoko" 2011

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9 2010 Her Space - in the box 120x91cm oil

Her Space - in the box 120x91cm oil on wooden panel . 2010 .

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On the left Her Space – in the box exhibited in Gallerie Moineau ( solo exhibition ) Tokyo . January 2011 . On the right same painting exhibited in Tsukuba University Art space . Tsukuba city . February 2011

10 2011 Herspace - in the box 2

Oil painting ,transfer print, washi,drawing with masking tape on canvas. 53×45.5 cm . 2011.

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