The “Women and Life” symposium was inaugurated on Tuesday in Aswan, forming part of the 9th Aswan International Women Film Festival, which runs from May 2 to 7, 2025. With contributions from several Arab nations—among them Bahrain, Kuwait, and Iraq—the symposium centers around diverse artistic interpretations of women’s experiences and ambitions.
The event drew a prominent group of Egyptian film and art figures. Among those present were actresses Salwa Khattab and Shery Adel, actor Mido Adel, and directors Yousry Nasrallah, Magdy Ahmed Ali, Omar Abdel Aziz, Abdel Hakim El-Tounsi, as well as producer Mohamed El-Adl.
Approximately twenty artworks were exhibited, created by ten artists from varying generations and artistic backgrounds. The exhibition attracted art aficionados, including Jordan’s Sami Hendia—who owns the country’s first private museum for global art—and Egyptian gallerist Ibrahim Picasso of the Picasso Gallery.
Nermeen Amer, who launched the symposium and presents the “Tune and Color” show on Nile Culture Channel, described this year’s edition as a conceptual departure from previous ones. She emphasized the breadth of subjects addressed—both modern and traditional—and the symposium’s fusion of aesthetic richness with pressing social themes.
Dr. Hesham Abdelmoaty, acting as commissioner, was praised by Amer for introducing a fresh artistic vision that brought originality and depth to the presentation.
The symposium further fostered exchange between artists and key figures in the regional art scene, such as Ibrahim Picasso and Sami Hendia, reinforcing its role as a cultural bridge.
Kuwaiti artist Dana Al-Khashti took part with two works portraying women through a lens of elegance, noting that Aswan’s environment inspired her during her creative process, which took place in a local café.
Also from Kuwait, Aisha Al-Dhiyab contributed two vibrant and ethereal paintings capturing the feminine form in dreamlike states. Egyptian artist Hesham Abdelmoaty displayed “The Cart of Life,” a piece rooted in modernist technique and infused with reflections on the human condition and the flux of existence.
Bahraini artist Mahmoud Al-Mulla offered two pieces marrying abstract design with Arabic calligraphy, using color as a vehicle for layered meaning.
From Iraq, Emad Mansour showcased a collection that merged black-and-white photography with graphic art, alongside a colorful composition themed around women.
Egyptian contributors included Dr. Samir Shaheen of the Faculty of Fine Arts, along with professors Dalia Fouad and Randa Fouad. Their works highlighted themes of daily life in Aswan and the role of women in Egypt’s southern regions.
