Editor's note: The following essay for the exhibition
Body of Grace: the Art of Kamal Youssef, on view June 27 through
October 11, 2014 at the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Loretto, was
reprinted in Resource Library on June 14, 2014. The essay was reprinted
with permission of the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, which was granted
to TFAO on June 13, 2014. If you have questions or comments regarding the
text, please contact the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art directly through
either this phone number or web address:
Body of Grace: the Art
of Kamal Youssef
by V. Scott Dimond
To a certain extent,
all artists mediate between the solid, "real" world and the ineffable
realm of feeling and spirit. They call our attention to the extraordinary
in the ordinary, and help us to realize that hierophanies may be drawn from
even the most commonplace things. Painter Kamal Youssef understands this
role of the artist better than most. For more than seventy-five years he
has applied himself with singular devotion to his chosen subjects. From
the fellaheen of his native Egypt to Mr. and Mrs. Everyman in the
United States, Kamal has sought and discovered the inner grace of humankind.
A bright light in a numinous cosmos, such grace is the central theme of
Kamal's paintings.
Like most spiritual concepts, the idea of grace is an intangible
thing, more easily felt than described. On one hand, it is the charm and
elegance defined by most English dictionaries; on the other, it is a religious
term encompassing the gifts of God: goodwill, patience, fortitude, and a
host of other virtues. Simply put, grace is the divine element in humanity
that makes all of us worthy. As an artist, Kamal gives it form through both
content and style. The purpose of this essay, then, is to examine Kamal's
approach to his subjects and the choices he makes with regard to how he
depicts them. In this we may gain a deeper appreciation of his art and of
the message behind it.
Kamal's focus on the human spirit was formed while he was
still a small child. Raised in an affluent household in Cairo, he was exposed
early on to contrasts of wealth and poverty. Taken in hand by his grandfather,
the imam of the district mosque, Kamal was taught kindness and empathy.
He learned that all human beings had value, regardless of their station
in life. Readily absorbed, this lesson was reinforced on holiday trips to
the country village where his father's family lived. There he came to admire
the quiet strength of the working poor, and to understand that their joys
and sorrows were much like his own.
As a young adult, Kamal endeavored to be an advocate of
those whose voices went unheard. He joined the avant-garde group, Art et
Liberté, linking up with other artists, literati, and intellectuals
in order to champion the cause of Egypt's oppressed. Encouraged by the free
atmosphere of Art et Liberté, Kamal was also finding his own voice
as an artist. He turned away from the outmoded academicism of the local
art establishment and embraced his own muse. From his first exhibition with
Art et Liberté in 1940 to his artistic coming of age during the following
decade, Kamal affirmed his passion for the nameless and lowly, creating
novel images of peasant life that reflected not only his desire for social
justice, but also his belief in the fundamental value of humanity.
Kamal's early paintings frequently invoke themes of hardship
and graceful endurance. The artist's protests were never strident, however,
and in many cases, it is only a barren setting or a downcast gaze that suggests
anything is amiss. Looking to the distorted landscapes of Dalí, Kamal
sometimes tapped into Surrealism in order to convey a subtle sense of alienation
and wrongness. On other occasions, he used animal surrogates to call attention
to deprivation and want of basic necessities. Such restraint was perhaps
to be expected from an artist working under a relatively stern regime, yet
it also points to Kamal's emphasis on people rather than causes, and on
the universal reality of suffering as opposed to any particular political
or social views. From the beginning, Kamal called for sympathy, rather than
anger.
Memory (1950) is a good example
of Kamal's art during this period. Surveying a cracked incubator and an
empty bowl, a forlorn rooster keeps watch over a desolate farmyard. In the
background, something like a rope boundary cordons off the scene. Or perhaps
it is a telegraph line, carrying messages to and from faraway locations?
Regardless of how it is interpreted, this detail reinforces the isolation
of this spot: there is no connection here, and to all intents and purposes,
life has literally passed this place by. The mood is melancholy, tinged
with fatalism, yet one cannot hold back a sympathetic smile for Kamal's
plucky rooster. In the midst of privation, he still stands tall, as proud
and self-possessed as any king.
As a founding member (in 1946) of the Groupe de l'Art Contemporain,
Kamal consciously placed himself in the forefront of Egypt's nascent modern
art movement. Exchanging ideas and exhibiting together with other pioneers
such as Hussein Amin and Hamed Nada, Kamal further refined his personal
idiom. Although his subject matter remained fairly constant, he now strove
to synthesize stylistic influences from both ancient Egyptian and contemporary
European sources. French art assumed particular importance, and in 1952,
Kamal moved to Paris to study it firsthand. At the same time, however, he
stoutly maintained his Egyptian identity. Kamal was not another immigrant
come to learn the French way of painting; instead he was an established
Egyptian artist adapting to a French milieu. As such, he worked assiduously
to forge a unique hybrid style.
By the mid-1950s, the basic elements of Kamal's mature
work were largely in place. Alone or in groups of two or three, the common
man (or woman) was his principle subject. Birds, fish, and other animals
often appeared in attendant roles, inflecting the meaning and mood of the
image. The hieratic quality and earthen colors of pharaonic wall painting
gave a monumental cast to his figures, which was relieved by the sensitive
line and lyrical tone of the modern French masters. Although Kamal's work
recalled that of Picasso, it was quieter and more sober. It was subject-focused,
and eschewed the self-referential panache of the latter. For Kamal, Picasso
and the other French moderns showed the way to creating a certain mood:
a psychological aura that emphasized the spiritual dimension of his subjects.
Paintings such as Mounira (1954) paved the way for
much of Kamal's subsequent oeuvre. As would be the case in so many later
compositions, a lone woman is the central focus here. Enclosed within a
high-walled courtyard, she is like the rooster in Kamal's earlier painting
-- effectively cut off from the outside world. Her pyramidal form and the
schematic placement of her limbs and profile (inspired by ancient Egyptian
art) seem to indicate a certain stasis and lack of freedom. Yet she nevertheless
looms large: filling the picture plane, she appears as if about to burst
out of the painting itself. Her glowing red-orange robe suggests inner fire,
and from this contrast, one may conclude that while the physical body may
be confined and folded in on itself, the spirit is warm, lively, and able
to transcend limitation. The small figure of a bird in the lower left complements
this idea, for like the human spirit, it can fly over any high wall, singing
as it goes.
While living in Paris, Kamal met his Russian-American wife,
Maria. At that time, relations between France and Egypt were deteriorating
over rights to the Suez Canal, so in late 1956, the couple moved to the
United States. Kamal's training as an engineer enabled him to land a secure
position with a firm in Pittsburgh, and for the rest of his career, Kamal
pursued his art in western Pennsylvania.
The move to the New World opened Kamal to new people and
places. As a result, his paintings became more universal and less specifically
Egyptian in character. Although Kamal still painted subjects from his homeland,
he was now experimenting with the American scene as well. His figures begin
to appear in dresses and suits, and in the background, we occasionally catch
a glimpse of wooden farmhouses, old barns, and city skylines. New colors
emerge, and in many instances, Kamal's brushwork grows freer and more painterly.
Echoes of ancient Egypt and the School of Paris remain, but they are now
fully integrated within Kamal's personal vision.
Most notably, Kamal's compositions become increasingly
iconic in nature. External reference points dwindle to a bare minimum, and
in many instances narrative elements fall away completely. Even the old
theme of endurance in the face of adversity disappears, and in its place
there is only a single figure, often female. She can be clothed or unclothed
and may be accompanied by a bird, which perches on her knee or rests in
her lap. While Kamal's titles can offer clues, the meaning of the painting
now lies almost entirely within the human form. In effect, the artist has
distilled his subject in an effort to create symbolic images of human grace
and the innate nobility of Man (or Woman, as is more often the case with
Kamal).
Although one might choose any number of works to examine,
It Is Back (1990) demonstrates Kamal's approach as well as any. One
of the artist's many articulations of the female form, it represents woman
as lifegiver. For Kamal, the creation of life is perhaps the ultimate expression
of grace, and thus to this theme he returns almost obsessively.
In this particular painting, the figure of a reclining
woman occupies nearly all of the pictorial space, save for that claimed
by a large bird at rest on her knee. The woman's proportions are squat and
rough-hewn, suggesting the strength of native stone; significantly, she
touches the ground with both hands, reinforcing her connection to the earth
as supreme mother. Although she is clothed, her ample breasts and deep décolletage
emphasize her calling as nurturer. In similar compositions, whether the
subject is nude or otherwise, Kamal will often indicate navel and nipples,
again underscoring the role of woman as originator and sustainer of life.
Yet Kamal does not intend merely to point out the biological
realities of women; rather he is celebrating the spiritual excellence of
bringing life into the world. Giving life invokes all of humanity's best
traits, most notably love and self-sacrifice. As if in communion with the
divine mystery of these things, Kamal's figure stares wide-eyed, looking
right through the viewer to some unseen higher world. The bird points to
spiritual realities as well, for it can leave the earth to commune with
the sun and the open sky. And yet if Kamal's woman is of the earth, she
too is also of the sky, as her blue eyes and the blue tones of her robe
seem to indicate. As Kamal sees it, she is the purest embodiment of the
divine in Man.
Kamal's art, then, reflects his search for that which is
holy. As an artist, he strives to make spiritual things visible. In his
work, one feels the certainty of his conviction, a sense that it is only
a matter of the right colors, the right proportions that will make manifest
the divine. As one who knows himself close to revelation, Kamal paints without
ceasing. He progresses apace, and as he goes, he leaves behind him a magnificent
body of work. The journey has been long, but ultimately joyful, for Kamal
is indefatigable optimist. Indeed, he surely knows that heaven is real,
and that divine grace exists within all of us.
About the author
V. Scott Dimond is the Curator for Visual Arts at the Southern
Alleghenies Museum of Art.
About the exhibition
When the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Loretto
unveils its newest exhibition, patrons will be treated to the largest exhibition
ever mounted by the 
Museum. On
June 27, 2014, SAMA will offer Wall-to-Wall Kamal, a retrospective
of Kamal Youssef featuring nearly 250 works spanning more than seventy years.
Appropriately titled, Wall-to-Wall Kamal will fill the Museum's main
gallery, upstairs gallery, stairwells and foyer. Youssef's paintings harken
to the beautiful and bold designs of ancient Egyptian art and are steeped
in the glorious traditions of Egyptian lore, yet are met with the artist's
contemporary style of painting to create a truly inspiring body of work.
The exhibition will remain on view through October 11, 2014. (right:
Kamal Youssef (American, b. Egypt, 1923), Peace Offering, 1972, Oil
on canvas, 30 x 40 inches. Gift of the artist. Collection of the Southern
Alleghenies Museum of Art)
Youssef was born in Cairo in 1923. As a youngster,
he was greatly influenced by his maternal grandfather, Mohammed Swelem el-Bekri,
who taught him to appreciate people of different backgrounds. The lessons
he learned in those early years stayed with him, as Youssef's artwork clearly
exhibits a sincere love for all people.
His artistic talent was evident early on. Youssef began
painting with watercolors and paper given to him by his father. He was later
selected for a new, progressive secondary school, at which time his art
blossomed. Under the tutelage of artist Ratib Siddik and European instructors,
the new school inspired Youssef to seek new heights in his art. Instead
of pursuing art at university, however, his father encouraged him to obtain
a degree in engineering. It would prove to be a wise decision, as his engineering
career would in turn provide him more artistic and economic freedom. After
immigrating to the United States in 1956, Youssef worked as an engineer
for Swindell-Dressler in Pittsburgh, where he designed highway overpasses
and steel mills. He and his family eventually settled in rural Indiana County,
where they still live today.
Despite having lived in the United States for more than
half a century, Youssef's paintings continue to be influenced by his native
Egypt, evinced by the flattened figures, minimalist shapes and burning colors.
His figures, primarily women, represent the creative forces that have shaped,
influenced and nurtured his life. Youssef's work has been exhibited throughout
the United States, Egypt, France, Italy and Brazil.
The Museum will celebrate Wall-to-Wall Kamal with
a reception from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, August 15, 2104. Reservations
are requested and can be made by calling the Museum at (814) 472-3920. Fee
for attendance.
(above: Kamal Youssef (American, b. Egypt, 1923), Oracle,
1997, Oil on canvas, 26 x 19 inches)
(above: Kamal Youssef (American, b. Egypt, 1923), Illumination,
2010, Oil on canvas, 30 x 40 inches. Gift of the artist in memory of Maria
Youssef. Collection of the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art)
(above: Kamal Youssef (American, b. Egypt, 1923), Connected,
2002, Dye on paper, 24 x 18 inches)
To view additional images of paintings in the exhibition:
- page 1 please click here
-
- page 2 please click here
Resource Library editor's
note:
The above catalogue esssay by V. Scott Dimond was reprinted
in Resource Library on June 14, 2014, with permission of the Southern
Alleghenies Museum of Art, which was granted to TFAO on June 13, 2014.
Resource Library wishes to
extend appreciation to Travis Mearns of the Southern Alleghenies Museum
of Art for his help concerning permissions for reprinting the above text.
All images courtesy of Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art.
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