FACTORY MACHINE OPERATORS
signed in Arabic and English and dated in English F.AFIFI 2016 lower right
oil on canvas
195 x 146cm; 76 3/4 x 57 1/2in
198 x 149cm; 78 x 58 3/4in (framed)

Property from a Private Collector, Belgium

Provenance
Acquired directly from the artist

Depictions of daily life in Cairo and the realities of the factory floor have dominated Fathi Afifi’s work for over four decades. Born in Cairo, his canvases mirror the energy that propelled him through an era of industrial transformation and the heyday of the Egyptian plastic arts movement. Afifi’s works often portray the human and the machine as equals, emphasising his view that this synergy is what has driven progress in Egypt. Through his practice, Afifi has endeavoured to critically portray life and labour, as well as the pursuit of freedom and autonomy that united his generation.

A member of a number of local art associations, he has exhibited extensively, including in Egypt, Kuwait, Austria, Mexico and Cuba. His work can be found in the collections of the Museum of Egyptian Modern Art; Barjeel Art Foundation, Sharjah; Qatar Museum; and Amman Museum, Jordan, among others.