ART RESIDENCY

«For the child, the image is the carrier of its feelings, the reflex of its soul life.
A child expresses itself just as naturally through images as through language,
which means nothing more to it than a chain of images.»

Ramses wissa wassef

«This, by the way, is the reason that art speaks a universal language, that it is a means of communication between people.»

RAMSES WISSA WASSEF

Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Center was founded in 1952 by architect Ramses Wissa Wassef in Harraneya near Cairo. In order to counter the ever-growing industrialization of handicrafts and the associated dwindling of artistic skills, Ramses Wissa Wassef founded a cultural center where artistry and precise craftsmanship are the main focus.
He was convinced that every human being is inclined to creative creation, but loses it in the course of life due to industrialized structures.
Thus, with the foundation of the Center, he started the experiment and invited several children from the immediate vicinity in Harraneya to learn the craft of weaving and to obtain in it an artistic but at the same time monetary occupation. 

Special thanks to
Ikram Nosshi, Susanne Wissa Wassef, Marian Wissa Wassef
Basima Mohamed and Taheya Ibrahim

Photography and Videos by Ikram Nosshi, Marie Akoury

«For the child, the image is the carrier of its feelings, the reflex of its soul life.
A child expresses itself just as naturally through images as through language, which means nothing more to it than a chain of images.»

Ramses wissa wassef

Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Center was founded in 1952 by architect Ramses Wissa Wassef in Harraneya near Cairo. In order to counter the ever-growing industrialization of handicrafts and the associated dwindling of artistic skills, Ramses Wissa Wassef founded a cultural center where artistry and precise craftsmanship are the main focus.
He was convinced that every human being is inclined to creative creation, but loses it in the course of life due to industrialized structures.
Thus, with the foundation of the Center, he started the experiment and invited several children from the immediate vicinity in Harraneya to learn the craft of weaving and to obtain in it an artistic but at the same time monetary occupation.

The children were to live out their own fantasy within the arts and crafts without any form of preliminary designs, copies or adult intervention. Thus, their artistic skills and sovereignty should be strengthened and promoted. 
TO THIS DAY, Susanne Wissa Wassef, the daughter of Ramses Wissa Wassef, and Ikram Nosshi, her husband, continue to run the center and work with the weavers.
To my great joy, I spent a month in Harraneya, at the Center, learning vertical chair weaving.
Through the guidance of Susanne Wissa Wassef, Basima Mohammed and Taheya Ibrahim, I was able to learn this art of weaving and experience their way of creative expression.

I was able to experience what it means to go into the artistic process without a strict concept and preliminary designs and thus gained a creative freedom that I had not known before. The intensive examination of the craft also taught me precision and dedication.I am overjoyed about this experience and have been able to take a lot from the people around me on an artistic, craft and also human level.
I am very grateful to Ikram Nosshi, Susanne Wissa Wassef, their daughter Marian Nosshi and all the weavers for welcoming me so warmly and giving me an insight into their precious world.