Orient Expressed

(FR and AR subtitles available on YouTube) This is a conversation with Egyptologist Dr Arto Belekdanian about some of Ancient Egypt's greatest mysteries, from how the pyramids were built and what happened to the Sphinx's nose to the little-known stories of female pharaohs and the artists behind iconic masterpieces like Nefertiti's bust. We also explore hieroglyphs, royal rituals and wh...

This is a conversation with Louis Barthélemy, a French artist and designer whose colourful, symbolic and rebellious work is carried out in collaboration with artisans of the countries he travels to. We talk about identity, intuition, colonial heritage, cultural appropriation and the deconstruction of toxic masculinity. 00:00 Intro · مقدمة01:53 Who is Louis Barthélemy? · من هو لويس بارتيليمي؟03:45...

This episode follows Alaa Abu Elhamd, an Egyptian painter from Upper Egypt, whose work reconnects contemporary painting with ancient Egyptian visual heritage. We explore his symbolic, figurative language shaped by Luxor, his personal life, as well as the themes of spirituality, memory and rebirth in forming his artistic vision.00:00 Intro · مقدمة00:49 Who is Alaa Abu Elhamd? · من هو علاء أبو الحمد...

This episode explores how artist Ziyad Jassam questions cultural identity as well as the contemporary realities of Iraq. We discuss expressionism, social taboos, and how best to perform and live your art. 00:00 Intro · مقدمة01:02 Who is Ziyad Jassam? · من هو نور المصري؟03:03 The difference between an artist and a painter · بداية التصوير الفوتوغرافي04:35 Artists that inspire him · الفنانون الذين يل...

This episode explores Cairo’s disappearing architecture through the lens of award-winning photographer Xenia Nikolskaya, whose long-term project documents Egypt’s overlooked heritage. We discuss photography as a tool for memory, the journey to becoming a photographer, and how artists record cultural change in contemporary Cairo. Watch the full filmed conversation on YouTube. 📚 CHAPTERS 00:00 Intr...

This episode explores how photographer Nour Elmassry captures the atmosphere of Cairo through light, colour and urban composition. We discuss street photography, memory, and how contemporary Egyptian artists translate everyday city life into visual narratives. An expert at blending realism with cinematic mood, he documents familiar spaces while transforming them into poetic, almost surreal scenes...

😎 GUEST Wael Nour is a Luxor-based Egyptian contemporary artist who specialises in classical watercolours. His work beautifully captures the soul of Upper Egypt. A graduate of the Faculty of Art Education at Assiut University and former student of the late Bekheit Farrag, he paints light as much as landscape, capturing the stillness and soul of rural Egypt in fluid, meditative scenes that linger...

😎 GUEST Khaled Hamed is a full-time Egyptian visual artist based in Tunis Village. Inspired by Salvador Dali, he sculpts in bronze, wood, fibreglass, and resin, and also writes poetry. Active on the art scene since 1998, he has participated in numerous group exhibitions, including the Youth Salon and the General Exhibition, and has held several solo shows at the Cairo Atelier.🔎 FIND OUT MORE Ins...

😎 GUEST Yousra Hafad is an Egyptian-Moroccan artist, based in Luxor, Egypt. She expresses women's innermost feelings through metaphorical works. The palatial and elegant women of her oil paintings convey a sense of stability, strength, and boldness. 🔎 FIND OUT MORE Instagram: @yousra.hafad Facebook: yousra.hafad Find video episode here: https://youtu.be/b-Rvfos2Kbg Full article here:https://...

الفنان أحمد عبد الفتاح، مصور وفنان مصري معاصر، يعمل مدرس مساعد في كلية الفنون الجميلة بجامعة الأقصر. حاز على درجة الماجستير في التصوير ووسائط الميديا الجديدة، ويسعى للحصول على الدكتوراه في مجال الواقع الافتراضي. يعد من أوائل الفنانين الذين يعملون على فن الواقع الافتراضي في مصر، حيث يستخدمه و يدمجه كوسيلة فنية. عرضت أعماله دولياً وفاز بجوائز عديده، بما في ذلك جوائز بنك الأهلي المصري لفن البورتريه....

😎 GUEST Shaimaa Fekry is an Egyptian artist who “paints with photos”. Born in Cairo into a family of artists, she showcases the beauty of her hometown, its timelessness and its daily life through her expert eye and the lens of her beloved camera. Her first exhibition was in El Sawy Culture Wheel with a group of photographers, early 2010. She also participated in the Youth Salon Exhibition in Cair...

😎 L'INVITÉ eL Seed est un artiste qui se pose beaucoup de questions sur lui-même et sur le monde. Il utilise la sagesse des écrivains, poètes et philosophes du monde entier pour transmettre des messages de paix et souligner les points communs de l'existence humaine. Son art fait vivre les histoires des communautés qu'il rencontre à travers le monde et vise à créer un lien entre les pe...

😎 GUEST Linda Krockenberger - is a German expat who studied hotel management and was climbing the career ladder in Dubai. After she fell in love with camel riding, she decided to pursue her passion full-time, ultimately becoming the co-founder of the UAE's first camel riding school, in 2021. 🔎 FIND OUT MORE Her recommendations: 🎧 "The Mettleset" podcast 📖 "The Alchemist&quot...

😎 GUEST Rawan Anani is a Palestinian watercolour artist, now based in Canada. Her work focuses on representing the Palestinian heritage through its cities and landmarks, its culture and its women. 🔎 FIND OUT MORE YouTube interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huzC-zgLSMs Blog interview: ⁠https://emmyinthemix.com/rawan-anani-painting-the-colours-of-palestine/ Instagram: @rawan_anani_artgaller...

😎 GUEST Abdelrahman Elshahed is a Saudi artist, calligrapher and architect, born and currently based in Mecca. His works focus on spiritual geometry (Arabic calligraphy) and on ways to convey multiple concepts which are important for humanity through mixed media forms and deep symbolism. 🔎 FIND OUT MORE YouTube interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvBJYT6zg-U Blog interview: ⁠https://emmyi...

😎 GUEST Faisal Alkheriji is a Saudi artist from and living in Jeddah. He paints characters mixing traditional Saudi cultural items (clothing, events, food) with cubist and surrealist techniques. He was introduced to painting at the age of 6 during a summer camp and later on took art classes. Inspired by Picasso, Godard and Condo, he uses acrylic paint on canvas to “represent culture differently”...

😎 GUEST Wissam Shawkat is an Iraq-born and Dubai-based artist whose energetic work encompasses calligraphy, typography, and design. He developed his own script: "Al Wissam". He also collaborated with Hermès on the perfume “Eau des Merveilles”, turned “Ambre des Merveilles”, a limited edition for the Gulf countries. To describe the way he experiments with letters, he coined the term call...

😎 GUEST Noura Bin Saidan is a Saudi visual, mural, and street artist, who also experiments with installations and graffiti with 3D mapping. She is the author of many mural artworks in Riyadh's shopping centre "The Boulevard" and participated in 2019 Middle Beast and 2021 Riyadh Season festivals. Noura is on a mission to expand her art outside of her country and show people what Saud...

Get access to and insights from outstanding human beings: join me as I talk to artists and experts I admire from or located in the Arab world and West Asia. Our conversations will often expand to culture, gender, language, and spirituality. I hope Orient Expressed becomes your favourite workout or commute podcast! www.emmyinthemix.com