In the Zamalek Art Gallery in Cairo towards the end of 2022, the Arab entertainment industry’s greatest luminaries, including Youssra, Hend Sabry, Marwan Hamed, Moh Hefzy, Huda el Mufti and Tara Emad all gathered in wonder at one of the Arab art world’s best kept secrets: Maher Diab.
“The gallery had a sensor, so that when any one walked into the gallery a beep was sounded,” Diab tells Esquire Middle East.
“The funny thing was, you couldn’t hear the beep. When people entered, their first reaction was a loud, ‘oh wow’. That was the easiest way to hear someone had joined the party.”
It makes sense that Diab may deserve more praise for his art. After all, his day job perhaps overshadows his other passions, as Diab is one of the most influential people in the Arab entertainment world himself, the co-founder of the industry heavyweight MAD Solutions, and its Creative Director and Managing Partner.
His art, which he is spending more time displaying to the world, speaks for itself, and as its famous fans attest, it cannot be ignored.
Esquire Middle East talked to the artist about his work, and his exciting plans for the future.
Read our conversation below:
ESQ: Could you tell me about the journey you took to arrive at your signature style?
Maher Diab: We all drew as children, crazy doodles and imaginative creatures, it’s a way to adapt with the new world that we were put in. The point where we decided to get better, that’s when our artistic journey truly begins, so for me it all started in my early childhood. I drew my joy, my fears and my fantasies, it’s been always my venting window.
I don’t think talent alone is enough to make great artists, it’s the extra miles you take, the persistence and the practice.
How do you feel that you’ve changed as an artist over the years?
Maher Diab: With every experience I have, my self changes and grows, and with every piece of art I make, my style changes and grows. With time I think I became more grounded, closer to what really excites me and moves me, both on a personal and artistic level.
The nature of art is also in the eye of the beholder. What were some of your favorite reactions you got at the most recent gallery showing?
Maher Diab: So the gallery had a sensor that when any one walked into the gallery a beep was sounded.
However, the beep wasn’t even heard as when people entered their first reaction was a “oh wow” vocalised voice. This was a better indicator on the number of guests entered the gallery .
What else excites you in the Arab art world today?
Maher Diab: I get excited by people who use their art to break barriers, and help me imagine a different reality, realm and possibility of being. I am always inspired by talent that challenges our perceptions.
What would you like to change in the art world?
Maher Diab: I don’t think that I’m the only artist who struggles with the “battle” between creating art for the sake of art or for the sake of financial gain. It’s great to be able to make money out of what we as artists love to create. But also, we don’t want the constraints that come with it. Art, its process and appreciation should be free of those shackles. But also, we don’t have to be poor as artists!
What are you working on now, and what plans do you have for the future?
Maher Diab: I always wanted to integrate new technology into my art, I’m preparing for an interactive exhibition with a well-known artist in March. This has always been a fantasy of mine and to bring it into fruition is just so exciting.