Expert in Islamic Art, Shahira Mehrez has painstakingly built her large collection of items from all over Egypt. Her collection consists of several hundred dresses with head-gear and accessories, gold and silver jewelry; ornamental baskets and palm reed artifacts, as well as some 100 Bedouin kelims from both the Eastern and Western Deserts.

Irrespective of the wealth of folkloric artifacts produced over centuries, to date there is no museum in all of Egypt bearing witness to a unique duality: the extraordinary creativity of the simple folk of Egypt, peasants, Bedouins and oases’ dwellers, and their role as cultural guardians, throughout the ages, of traditions inherited from our forefathers

Nowadays, the public is accustomed to go from a Museum with Pharaonic treasures to museums celebrating Coptic Art or Islamic Art, as if they were three separate, unrelated entities, as if we were either one or the other. A Museum of Egyptian Folklore will establish without a doubt that we are a synthesis of the three cultures born of the three religions that took root in our country: the Pharaonic, the Christian and the Islamic. It will show, that far from being monolithic, we were throughout our history one of the earliest pluralistic societies in the world.

Through an agreement between the EHRF (Egyptian Heritage Rescue Foundation) and Mrs. Mehrez, she will donate as many items as can be exhibited in one year, taking into account that perishable objects such as clothing and textiles have to be exhibited on a rotating basis for two months, then stored for the rest of the year. This will ensure that generations to come will be able to enjoy viewing them. The museum will be open to the public, with lectures and study tours available as a valuable resource for private schools and universities, in addition to any special interest groups within the community.

https://www.facebook.com/CHEHRF

How Bilo Hussein Creates Poignant Photography in a Snap

By Lydia Schoonderbeek

Her photography has her signature branded all over it; a Bilo Hussein image is unequivocally a Bilo Hussein image: glaringly discernable from all others. That is how quick and impactful the imprint of her aesthetic has become. From her commissioned work to her personal oeuvre, it is hard not to react to her subject matter in one way or another as a viewer of her compositions. In a short and sweet meeting with Cairo East Magazine, Bilo steps away from the camera for a cup of coffee in preparation of filling the unfamiliar role of ‘subject’ she is not often used to.

CEM: Bilo, how did it all start?

BH: In 2012 I moved to London to study for a Masters degree in Marketing Communications from the University of Westminster. I bought my first DSLR to record my time there, and that didn’t start off so well. I didn’t know how to use it and it frustrated me. Every photograph I took looked completely different than what I saw. I realized then that there is a gap and I that I needed to do something about it. I started to use my camera as a reason to get out of the house and go to new places. I needed new subject matter. I began studying photography at the London School of Photography, and so after every class I would search for places and just shoot. In six months, I came to the conclusion that I no longer wanted to be in marketing. And that photography was the next thing I would take seriously and develop myself in, and so I applied to the school of visual arts in NYC and moved there. My biggest achievement was to graduate from School of Visual Arts. It was a very challenging and intense program. I am very proud I have been able to do well and connect with so many talented artists.

Tell us about your time in NYC?

NYC is really the best place to live for an artist. It has so much to offer and many opportunities that don’t exist elsewhere. My time there can be easily labeled as the best experience of my life. I was able to meet people from different backgrounds, and explore.

What are some of the key differences between Cairo and NYC in photography?

Apart from the obvious lack of good talent, location, models and creative directors that can inspire to create better images in Cairo, the main difference for me would be the light. I am very perceptive to sunlight and it is very different in quality than in NYC.

From the photographs you have taken, do you have a favorite?

This is a very difficult question. I don’t have a favorite. All is my work. I relate to each image I make differently. I would be less attached to my commercial work, because it has someone else input on it. However, I find myself going back to old personal work, revisiting it, analyzing it and remembering a certain emotion that was evoked during a session.

How would you describe yourself in 5 words or less?

Introvert, dreamer, receptive.

When you are out and about, what compels you to shoot?

I enjoy making photos about people and places, and not of them. I find myself attracted to everything that is different from what I am. I love travelling and getting exposed to new cultures. I think if I didn’t pursue photography, I would have studied anthropology (I am still planning to some day).

Who is your favorite photographer from the last decades?

My favorite keeps changing as I develop, and depending on which stage I am at. However, Erwin Olaf has been my favorite for the last two years. I love his work.

How do you feel technology and social media have affected communication and the image?

Of course technology has changed our lives forever, and our human interactions have changed accordingly. We now connect differently and plan events differently. We discuss vital social and political issues differently. I think most of the people who have witnessed life before this outburst of technology can easily see the difference. I wonder what the new generation, that is growing up right now surrounded by technology will be like ten years from now. This question reminds me of a body of work that was created by photographer Dina Litovsky, titled ‘untag this photo’, where she explores how female behavior in night clubs has changed because of smartphones and photo-sharing social platforms. Her observation of how young females now go out to pose for cameras and share photos rather than interact with other people existing in the same place is quite interesting.

Achieving Sculpted Cheekbones with Make-up

If you were born with chiseled cheekbones and a structured jawline, then lucky you! But for those of us who need a little sculpting, our guide to step-by-step contouring will help.

Step 1. Prepare your face with two shades of foundation: Dot on a foundation that’s one shade lighter than your skin color in the center of your face, and another that’s one shade darker than your complexion around the edges.

Step 2. Blend the two shades: Using a brush, blend the two shades on your face to create an illusion of depth and dimension.

Step 3. Map the contours and highlights of your face:  Mark the areas you want to contour, the hollows under your cheekbones, your temples, along your hairline, jawline, the sides of your nose, the tip of the nose, and the crease of your eyes, with a deeply-colored brow gel pencil. Brow gel pencils are really concentrated, yet smudge really well and it’s easy to control the placement of their dark pigment, making it perfect for contouring.

Next, use an all-over cream highlighter on the tops of your cheekbones, on the center of your forehead, the bridge of your nose, the center of your chin, and on your cupid’s bow.

Step 4. Blend the two for a flawless finish: Create that sculpted airbrushed effect using a flat top dense brush to buff out the two shades to perfection.

For more contouring tutorials:

www.lancome-usa.com/Effortless-Contouring-Tutorial-by-Lisa-Eldridge

www.missmaven.com

www.sofeminine.co.uk