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{{Short description|Egyptian architect and professor}}
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'''Ramses Wissa Wassef''' (1911–1974) was an [[Egyptians|Egyptian]] architect and professor of art and [[architecture]] at the College of Fine Arts in Cairo and founder of the Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre.<ref>Egyptvoyager.com, Wissa Wassef Arts Center [http://www.egyptvoyager.com/artcrafts_wissawassef_biographies_ramses.htm Bio]</ref>
{{refimprove|date=May 2018}}
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'''Ramses Wissa Wassef''' (1911–1974) was an [[Egyptians|Egyptian]] [[Copts|Coptic]] architect and professor of art and [[architecture]] at the [[College of Fine Arts in Cairo]] and founder of the Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre.<ref>Egyptvoyager.com, Wissa Wassef Arts Center [http://www.egyptvoyager.com/artcrafts_wissawassef_biographies_ramses.htm Bio]</ref>


==Biography==
==Biography==
Ramses Wissa Wassef was born in Cairo. His father was a lawyer, a leader of Egypt's nationalist movement and an art patron who promoted the development of the arts in Egypt. After high school, Wassef wanted to become a [[sculpture|sculptor]] but changed his mind and studied architecture in [[France]] at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts de Paris. His thesis project "A Potter's House in Old Cairo" received the first prize in 1935. He had a passion for beauty in form and believed "one cannot separate beauty from utility, the form from the material, the work from its function, man from his creative art "<ref>[http://www.wissa-wassef-arts.com/ Ramses Wissa Wassef Arts Center]</ref>
Ramses Wissa Wassef was born in Cairo. His father was a lawyer, a leader of Egypt's nationalist movement and an art patron who promoted the development of the arts in Egypt. After high school, Wassef wanted to become a [[sculpture|sculptor]] but changed his mind and studied architecture in [[France]] at the [[École des Beaux-Arts de Paris|Ecole des Beaux-Arts de Paris]]. His thesis project "A Potter's House in Old Cairo" received the first prize in 1935. He had a passion for beauty in form and believed "one cannot separate beauty from utility, the form from the material, the work from its function, man from his creative art "<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wissawassefartcenter.com/|title=Welcome to the Ramses Wissa Wassef Centre|website=www.wissawassefartcenter.com|access-date=2018-02-24}}</ref>


After Wassef's death, his family donated his original architecture drawings to the [http://library.aucegypt.edu/rbscl/ Rare Books and Special Collections Library] at the [[American University in Cairo]].
After Wassef's death, his family donated his original architecture drawings to the [http://library.aucegypt.edu/rbscl/ Rare Books and Special Collections Library]{{dead link|date=April 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} at the [[American University in Cairo]].


== Architectural and design career==
== Architectural and design career==
[[File:Banque Misr Building and Hotel at Opera Square - Perspective.jpg|thumb|left|Banque Misr Building and Hotel at Opera Square - Perspective]]
At the beginning of his career in 1935, Wassef was struck by the beauty of the medieval towns and the old quarters of Cairo. He felt that ancient craftsmen had managed to derive from their traditional heritage an infinite variety of expression and created effects distinguished by local character. He developed an architectural style that bore the stamp of his own strong personality and responded to the challenge of the times without breaking away from the past. Impressed as he was by the beauty of the Nubian houses in the villages around Aswan, which still preserved the domes and vaults, inherited form the earliest Pharaonic dynasties, he resolved to maintain their presence in his own architectural work for reasons of aesthetics, climate and economics. He made use of traditional craftsmen such as stonecutters, traditional carpenters, glass blowers and potters who had inherited the techniques and traditions of the Egyptian vernacular heritage. Wassef taught architecture and art at the Department of Architecture, College of Fine Arts, Cairo, which he also chaired.
[[File:Old Cairo Potter's House.jpg|thumb|Old Cairo Potter's House]]At the beginning of his career in 1935, Wassef was struck by the beauty of the medieval towns and the old quarters of [[Cairo]]. He felt that ancient craftsmen had managed to derive from their traditional heritage an infinite variety of expression and created effects distinguished by local character. He developed an architectural style that bore the stamp of his own strong personality and responded to the challenge of the times without breaking away from the past. Impressed as he was by the beauty of the [[Nubia|Nubian]] houses in the villages around Aswan, which still preserved the domes and vaults, inherited form the earliest Pharaonic dynasties, he resolved to maintain their presence in his own architectural work for reasons of aesthetics, climate and economics. He made use of traditional craftsmen such as stonecutters, traditional carpenters, glass blowers and potters who had inherited the techniques and traditions of the Egyptian vernacular heritage. Wassef taught architecture and art at the Department of Architecture, College of Fine Arts, Cairo, which he also chaired.


==Designs==
==Designs==
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*[http://digitalcollections.aucegypt.edu/cdm/search/collection/p15795coll5/searchterm/French%20School%20Cairo/field/source/mode/exact/conn/and/order/nosort French School of Cairo]
*[http://digitalcollections.aucegypt.edu/cdm/search/collection/p15795coll5/searchterm/French%20School%20Cairo/field/source/mode/exact/conn/and/order/nosort French School of Cairo]
* Mahmoud Mokhtar Sculpture Museum ({{coord|30|2|25.8|N|31|13|22.3|E|type:landmark|name=Mahmoud Mokhtar Sculpture Museum}}), [[Cairo]]
* Mahmoud Mokhtar Sculpture Museum ({{coord|30|2|25.8|N|31|13|22.3|E|type:landmark|name=Mahmoud Mokhtar Sculpture Museum}}), [[Cairo]]
* [http://www.copticarchitecture.com/arc/heritage/zama.htm Saint Mary Coptic Church] in Zamalek, [[Cairo]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070203080016/http://www.copticarchitecture.com/arc/heritage/zama.htm Saint Mary Coptic Church] in Zamalek, [[Cairo]]
* Several churches in [[Cairo]], [[Alexandria]] and Damanhour, including the [http://www.copticarchitecture.com/arc/heritage/helio.htm Church of St. George] in Heliopolis
* Several churches in [[Cairo]], [[Alexandria]] and Damanhour, including the [https://web.archive.org/web/20070203080215/http://www.copticarchitecture.com/arc/heritage/helio.htm Church of St. George] in Heliopolis
* The Junior Lycee school at [[Bab al-Louq]] [[Cairo]]
* The Junior Lycee school at [[Bab al-Louq]] [[Cairo]]
* His home in Agouza, [[Cairo]] and several private houses along the Saqqara road near the [[Pyramids]]
* His home in Agouza, [[Cairo]] and several private houses along the Saqqara road near the [[Pyramids]]
* Adam Henein House, [http://www.copticarchitecture.com/arc/heritage/oth.htm Harrania] [[Giza]]. Adam was his student at the college of fine art.
* [[Adam Henein]] House, [https://web.archive.org/web/20070203075416/http://www.copticarchitecture.com/arc/heritage/oth.htm Harrania] [[Giza]]. Adam was his student at the college of fine art.
* Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Center compound, Harrania [[Giza]], including tapestry workshops and gallery, the Habib Georgi sculpture museum.
* Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Center compound, Harrania [[Giza]], including tapestry workshops and gallery, the Habib Georgi sculpture museum.


== Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre==
== Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre==
[[File:The Childrens Museum of Indianapolis - “Wedding in the Village” loom - woven tapestry.jpg|thumb|right|325px|''Wedding in the Village'' — woven in 2007 at the Art Centre by Basima Mohamed.<br/>Collection of [[The Children's Museum of Indianapolis]].]]
[[File:The Childrens Museum of Indianapolis - “Wedding in the Village” loom - woven tapestry.jpg|thumb|right|325px|''Wedding in the Village'' — woven in 2007 at the Art Centre by Basima Mohamed.<br/>Collection of [[The Children's Museum of Indianapolis]].]]
Wissa Wassef founded the '''Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre''' in 1951, located in the Harrania district of [[Giza]], near the [[Giza pyramids]] in the [[Greater Cairo]] region. He established it to teach young Egyptian villagers how to create art, including [[tapestry|tapestries]]. He believed that children are endowed with creative power and potential.<ref>[http://www.wissa-wassef-arts.com/intro.htm Welcome to the Ramses Wissa Wassef Art School<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Wissa Wassef wanted to prove that artistic creativity is innate in everyone, and regardless of deadening influences from mass produced objects, it can flourish within supportive settings such as the Art Centre. <ref name=archnet>[http://archnet.org/library/parties/one-party.tcl?party_id=460 Archnet.org: Ramses Wissa Wassef]</ref>
Wissa Wassef founded the '''Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre''' in 1951, located in the Harrania district of [[Giza]], near the [[Giza pyramids]] in the [[Greater Cairo]] region. He established it to teach young Egyptian villagers how to create art, including [[tapestry|tapestries]]. He believed that children are endowed with creative power and potential.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wissawassefartcenter.com/intro.htm|title=Welcome to the Ramses Wissa Wassef Art School|website=www.wissawassefartcenter.com|access-date=2018-02-24}}</ref> Wissa Wassef wanted to prove that artistic creativity is innate in everyone, and regardless of deadening influences from mass-produced objects, it can flourish within supportive settings such as the Art Centre.<ref name="archnet">{{Cite web|url=http://archnet.org/library/parties/one-party.tcl?party_id=460|title=Archnet|website=archnet.org|access-date=2018-02-24|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060629190011/http://archnet.org/library/parties/one-party.tcl?party_id=460|archivedate=2006-06-29}}</ref>


The Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre won the [[Aga Khan Award for Architecture]] from the [[Aga Khan Development Network]] in 1983. <ref>[http://www.akdn.org/architecture/project.asp?id=291 Aga Khan Development Network: "Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre receives the Aga Khan Award for Architecture"]</ref> <ref name=archnet/> The Art Centre is open to the public, with an [[art museum]] exhibiting its early tapestry works, and a museum shop selling contemporary tapestry works by Art Centre artists. Tours are available, upon contacting the Art Centre in advance to schedule.
The Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre won the [[Aga Khan Award for Architecture]] from the [[Aga Khan Development Network]] in 1983.<ref name=archnet/><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.akdn.org/architecture/project.asp?id=291|title=Ramses Wissa Wassef Arts Centre {{!}} Aga Khan Development Network|website=www.akdn.org|language=en|access-date=2018-02-24}}</ref> The Art Centre is open to the public, with an [[art museum]] exhibiting its early tapestry works, and a museum shop selling contemporary tapestry works by Art Centre artists. Tours are available, upon contacting the Art Centre in advance to schedule.


The Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre has operated continuously since opening in 1951, with its artists creating tapestries there for over 60 years. The Centre's artists create the designs and weave the tapestries directly from their imaginations onto the looms. Pre-designed patterns have never been used, proving Wissa Wassef's belief that artistic creativity is intrinsic, and can be expressed when a supportive context is available.
The Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre has operated continuously since opening in 1951, with its artists creating tapestries there for over 60 years. The Centre's artists create the designs and weave the tapestries directly from their imaginations onto the looms. Pre-designed patterns have never been used, supporting Wissa Wassef's belief that artistic creativity is intrinsic, and can be expressed when a supportive context is available.


The renowned [[textile artist]]s Ali Selim and Karima Ali, who began as children at the Centre in the 1960s and 1970s, continue to weave tapestry masterworks, now up to {{convert|10|ft|m}} in width.
The renowned [[textile artist]]s Ali Selim and Karima Ali, who began as children at the Centre in the 1960s and 1970s, continue to weave tapestry masterworks, now up to {{convert|10|ft|m}} in width.
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==Exhibitions==
==Exhibitions==


The tapestries have been internationally recognized since the late 1950s. Many exhibitions have been held in Europe and the Smithsonian Institution organized a traveling exhibit in the USA in 1975-76. The most recent exhibition was at the Coningsby Gallery in London, UK, during November 2012. A simple paperback catalog was published for the 2006 for an exhibition at the School of Oriental and African Studies in the [[University of London]] to mark the center's 50th anniversary.<ref>[http://www.wissa-wassef-arts.com/report1.htm report1<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> "Egyptian Landscapes" is a book of photographs that highlights the work of the center.
The tapestries have been internationally recognized since the late 1950s. Many exhibitions have been held in Europe and the Smithsonian Institution organized a traveling exhibit in the USA in 1975-76. The most recent exhibition was at the Coningsby Gallery in London, UK, during November 2012. A simple paperback catalog was published for the 2006 for an exhibition at the School of Oriental and African Studies in the [[University of London]] to mark the center's 50th anniversary.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wissa-wassef-arts.com/report1.htm|title=report1|website=www.wissa-wassef-arts.com|access-date=2018-02-24}}</ref> "Egyptian Landscapes" is a book of photographs that highlights the work of the center.


1954 - Organized by the group Amities Francaises,Cairo, Alexandria and Ismallia, Egypt
1954 - Organized by the group Amities Francaises,Cairo, Alexandria and Ismallia, Egypt
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1961 - National Museum of Modern Art, Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmo, Sweden
1961 - National Museum of Modern Art, Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmo, Sweden


1962 - Fodor Museum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
1962 - Fodor Museum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands


1963 - Museum Am ost Wall Dortmund, Munich, Germany
1963 - Museum Am ost Wall Dortmund, Munich, Germany
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==Publications==
==Publications==


In 1961, renown photographer Werner Forman discovered the Art Centre by accident while shooting in Egypt. Forman and later his archive staff have been a primary international ambassador for the tapestries. He published two books available online for used book sellers. <br />
In 1961, renowned photographer Werner Forman discovered the Art Centre by accident while shooting in Egypt. Forman and later his archive staff have been a primary international ambassador for the tapestries. He published two books available online for used book sellers. <br />
<br />
<br />
"Tapestries from Egypt" by Ramses Wissa Wassef and Werner Forman, 1961, Hamlin Publishing Group<br />
"Tapestries from Egypt" by Ramses Wissa Wassef and Werner Forman, 1961, Hamlin Publishing Group<br />
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==See also==
==See also==
* [[List of Egyptians]]
* [[List of Egyptian architects]]


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
* Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Center official website [http://www.wissawassefartcenter.com]
⚫
* ''MIMAR 35: Architecture in Development'' by Taylor, Brian Brace, 1990
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* ''Architecture in Continuity'' by Cantacuzino, Sherban, 1985
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* ''MIMAR 5: Architecture in Development'' by Noweir, Sawsan, 1985
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* ''Egyptian Landscapes Fifty Years of Tapestry Weaving at the Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre, Cairo'', Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Center, 2006


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==External links==
⚫
* MIMAR 35: Architecture in Development'' by Taylor, Brian Brace, 1990
⚫
*Architecture in Continuity'' by Cantacuzino, Sherban, 1985
⚫
* MIMAR 5: Architecture in Development'' by Noweir, Sawsan, 1985
⚫
* Egyptian Landscapes Fifty Years of Tapestry Weaving at the Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre, Cairo'', Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Center, 2006


⚫
==External links==
===Ramses Wissa Wassef architecture===
===Ramses Wissa Wassef architecture===
*[http://digitalcollections.aucegypt.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/p15795coll5 The Ramses Wissa Wassef Architectural Drawings Digital Collection: online archives of drawings and documents for projects designed by Ramses Wissa Wassef (active 1935 to 1972)] — ''ongoing digitization and annotation of over 800 architectural drawings and plans; for over 60 projects, including villas, schools, churches, apartment buildings, banks, and art museums and centers''.
*[http://digitalcollections.aucegypt.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/p15795coll5 The Ramses Wissa Wassef Architectural Drawings Digital Collection: online archives of drawings and documents for projects designed by Ramses Wissa Wassef (active 1935 to 1972)] — ''ongoing digitization and annotation of over 800 architectural drawings and plans; for over 60 projects, including villas, schools, churches, apartment buildings, banks, and art museums and centers''.
*[http://archnet.org/ ArchNet: Ramses Wissa Wassef] — ''digital library about the architect and his works''.
*[http://archnet.org/ ArchNet: Ramses Wissa Wassef] — ''digital library about the architect and his works''.
*[http://www.akdn.org/architecture/project.asp?id=291 Akdn.org—Aga Khan Development Network: comprehensive Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre project submission to AKDN] — ''resulted in winning the 1983 Aga Khan Development Network Award.''
*[http://www.akdn.org/architecture/project.asp?id=291 Akdn.org—Aga Khan Development Network: comprehensive Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre project submission to AKDN] — ''resulted in winning the 1983 Aga Khan Development Network Award.''
*[http://shelf3d.com/i/Ramses%20Wissa%20Wassef Shelf3d Database: Ramses Wissa Wassef bibliography] — ''extensive links, publications and references, projects and works, new/retrospective exhibits information, and videos.''
*[http://shelf3d.com/i/Ramses%20Wissa%20Wassef Shelf3d Database: Ramses Wissa Wassef bibliography] — ''extensive links, publications and references, projects and works, new/retrospective exhibits information, and videos.''


===Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre===
===Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre===
*[http://www.wissawassef.com/ Official '''Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre''' website]
*[http://www.wissawassefartcenter.com/ Official website]
*[http://www.wissa-wassef-arts.com/exhibitioncatalogue.htm Wissa Wassef Art Centre: exhibition catalogue for "Egyptian Landscapes: Fifty Years of Tapestry Weaving at the Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre"]
*[http://www.wissa-wassef-arts.com/exhibitioncatalogue.htm Wissa Wassef Art Centre: exhibition catalogue for "Egyptian Landscapes: Fifty Years of Tapestry Weaving at the Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre"]
*[http://www.artplusradio.org/podcasts/shows/ART+Wissa_Wassef_04252007.mp3 Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre 55th Anniversary Celebration (1951-2007)] — ''interviews with Ramses Wissa Wassef Trust's trustees (London), and Wissa Wassef Art Centre's directors (Cairo)''.
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20081003080430/http://www.artplusradio.org/podcasts/shows/ART+Wissa_Wassef_04252007.mp3 Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre 55th Anniversary Celebration (1951-2007)] — ''interviews with Ramses Wissa Wassef Trust's trustees (London), and Wissa Wassef Art Centre's directors (Cairo)''.


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{{Authority control}}


:;Wissa Wassef Tapestries—online images + information + social media links
:*[https://www.facebook.com/Wissa.Wassef.Tapestries Facebook: Wissa Wassef Tapestries] — ''often weekly updates''.
:*[http://pinterest.com/wasseftapestry/ Pinterest: Wissa Wassef Tapestries] — ''online gallery''.
:*[http://www.marlamallett.com/wissawas2.htm Marla Mallett—Tapestry Collector website] — ''with detailed descriptions and images of weaving at the Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre.''


:;Wissa Wassef Tapestries—online sales
:*[http://www.wissa-wassef-arts.com Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre: official Wissa Wassef Tapestries International Online Shop website] — ''online sales for tapestries shipped directly from Egypt''.
:*[http://ramses-wissa-wassef-tapestries.myshopify.com Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre: official Wissa Wassef Tapestries North American Online Shop website] — ''online sales''.



{{-}}
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{{Authority control|VIAF=49405450}}

{{Museums in Egypt}}

{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
| NAME = Wassef, Ramses Wissa
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = Egyptian architect, art and architecture professor
| DATE OF BIRTH = 1911
| PLACE OF BIRTH =Egypt
| DATE OF DEATH = 1974
| PLACE OF DEATH =Egypt
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wassef, Ramses Wissa}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wassef, Ramses Wissa}}

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[[Category:Egyptian architects]]
[[Category:Egyptian academics]]
[[Category:Coptic architecture]]
[[Category:Museums in Egypt|Ramses Wissa Wassef Centre]]
[[Category:Textile museums|Ramses Wissa Wassef Centre]]
[[Category:Art schools in Egypt|Ramses Wissa Wassef Centre]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Giza|Ramses Wissa Wassef Centre]]
[[Category:20th-century architects]]
[[Category:1911 births]]
[[Category:1911 births]]
[[Category:1974 deaths]]
[[Category:1974 deaths]]
[[Category:Coptic Christians from Egypt]]
[[Category:Egyptian architects]]
[[Category:People from Cairo]]
[[Category:20th-century Egyptian architects]]
⚫
[[Category:Egyptian Copts]]
[[Category:Academic staff of the College of Fine Arts in Cairo]]

Latest revision as of 08:58, 5 October 2023

Ramses Wissa Wassef (1911–1974) was an Egyptian Coptic architect and professor of art and architecture at the College of Fine Arts in Cairo and founder of the Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre.[1]

Biography[edit]

Ramses Wissa Wassef was born in Cairo. His father was a lawyer, a leader of Egypt's nationalist movement and an art patron who promoted the development of the arts in Egypt. After high school, Wassef wanted to become a sculptor but changed his mind and studied architecture in France at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts de Paris. His thesis project "A Potter's House in Old Cairo" received the first prize in 1935. He had a passion for beauty in form and believed "one cannot separate beauty from utility, the form from the material, the work from its function, man from his creative art "[2]

After Wassef's death, his family donated his original architecture drawings to the Rare Books and Special Collections Library[permanent dead link] at the American University in Cairo.

Architectural and design career[edit]

Banque Misr Building and Hotel at Opera Square - Perspective
Old Cairo Potter's House

At the beginning of his career in 1935, Wassef was struck by the beauty of the medieval towns and the old quarters of Cairo. He felt that ancient craftsmen had managed to derive from their traditional heritage an infinite variety of expression and created effects distinguished by local character. He developed an architectural style that bore the stamp of his own strong personality and responded to the challenge of the times without breaking away from the past. Impressed as he was by the beauty of the Nubian houses in the villages around Aswan, which still preserved the domes and vaults, inherited form the earliest Pharaonic dynasties, he resolved to maintain their presence in his own architectural work for reasons of aesthetics, climate and economics. He made use of traditional craftsmen such as stonecutters, traditional carpenters, glass blowers and potters who had inherited the techniques and traditions of the Egyptian vernacular heritage. Wassef taught architecture and art at the Department of Architecture, College of Fine Arts, Cairo, which he also chaired.

Designs[edit]

Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre[edit]

Wedding in the Village — woven in 2007 at the Art Centre by Basima Mohamed.
Collection of The Children's Museum of Indianapolis.

Wissa Wassef founded the Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre in 1951, located in the Harrania district of Giza, near the Giza pyramids in the Greater Cairo region. He established it to teach young Egyptian villagers how to create art, including tapestries. He believed that children are endowed with creative power and potential.[3] Wissa Wassef wanted to prove that artistic creativity is innate in everyone, and regardless of deadening influences from mass-produced objects, it can flourish within supportive settings such as the Art Centre.[4]

The Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture from the Aga Khan Development Network in 1983.[4][5] The Art Centre is open to the public, with an art museum exhibiting its early tapestry works, and a museum shop selling contemporary tapestry works by Art Centre artists. Tours are available, upon contacting the Art Centre in advance to schedule.

The Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre has operated continuously since opening in 1951, with its artists creating tapestries there for over 60 years. The Centre's artists create the designs and weave the tapestries directly from their imaginations onto the looms. Pre-designed patterns have never been used, supporting Wissa Wassef's belief that artistic creativity is intrinsic, and can be expressed when a supportive context is available.

The renowned textile artists Ali Selim and Karima Ali, who began as children at the Centre in the 1960s and 1970s, continue to weave tapestry masterworks, now up to 10 feet (3.0 m) in width.

Exhibitions[edit]

The tapestries have been internationally recognized since the late 1950s. Many exhibitions have been held in Europe and the Smithsonian Institution organized a traveling exhibit in the USA in 1975-76. The most recent exhibition was at the Coningsby Gallery in London, UK, during November 2012. A simple paperback catalog was published for the 2006 for an exhibition at the School of Oriental and African Studies in the University of London to mark the center's 50th anniversary.[6] "Egyptian Landscapes" is a book of photographs that highlights the work of the center.

1954 - Organized by the group Amities Francaises,Cairo, Alexandria and Ismallia, Egypt

1954 - Egyptian Art Exhibition,Italy

1956 - The Near East College Association, New York, USA

1958 - Gewerbemuseum, Zurich & Basel, Switzerland

1959 - Bilddteppiche, Krefeild, Germany

1960 - Museum of Modern Art, Stockholm, Sweden

1961 - Kunstindustrimusset, Germany

1961 - National Museum of Modern Art, Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmo, Sweden

1962 - Fodor Museum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

1963 - Museum Am ost Wall Dortmund, Munich, Germany

1964 - Stedelijk Museum, Groninger Museum Voor Stad en Lande, The Netherlands

1964 - Neue Sammlung Munchen, Munich, Germany

1965 - Musee D’ Arts Decoratifs, Rosenthal Studio-Haus-Delvaux, Paris, France

1966 - Museum of Modern Art, Skovde Konsthall Skovde, Stockholm, Lunds, Sweden

1966 - Congress Mondial, Prague, Czechoslovakia

1967 - Musee D’Arts Decoratifs, Lausanne, Switzerland

1967 - Museum of Modern Art, Stockholm, Sweden

1969 - Royal College of Art, London, England

1971 - Gallery Brand Strupp, Oslo, Norway

1972 - Ideal Home Exhibition, London, England

1973 - Gallery La Demeure, Paris, France

1974 - Al Palazzo Dellarejario, Milan, Italy

1975 - New York Natural History Museum, New York City, USA

1975 - Textile Museum, Washington, DC, USA

1975 - Gallery La Demeure, Paris, France

1977 - Italian Culture Centre, Cairo, Egypt

1978 - Touring exhibition, Berlin, Essen, Stuttgart, Germany

1978 - Gallery La Demeure, Paris, France

1979 - Roemer - und Pelizaeus - Museum, Hildesheim, Germany

1979 - Anneberg Gallery, San Francisco, USA

1979 - Modern Art Museum, Stockholm, Sweden

1981 - University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA

1981 - Egyptian Art Academy, Rome, Italy

1985 - The Barbican Centre, London, UK

1985 - Polytechnic Gallery, Newcastle, UK

1986 - ArtSpace, Aberdeen, UK

1986 - City of Edinburgh Art Centre, Edinburgh, UK

1986 - Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea, Wales, UK

1990 - First Tapestry Triennale, Tournai, Belgium

1991 - Musee Jean Lurcat, Angers, France

1993 - Institut Du Monde Arabe, Paris, France

1995 - Culture Centre, Ha, Norway

1995 - Lebanese/ Egyptian Businessmen’s Association, Beirut, Lebanon

1999 - Egyptian Culture week, Tones, Tunisia

2000 - United Nations, Geneva, Switzerland

2001 - Conservatoire et Jardin Botanique, Geneva, Switzerland

2003 - Green Art Gallery, Dubai, UAE

2004 - Frankfurt Book Fair, Frankfurt, Germany

2006 - Brunei Gallery, SOAS, University of London, London, UK

2009 - Nature in Art Trust, Gloucestershire, UK

2012 - Children's Museum, Take Me There: Egypt!, Indianapolis, USA

2012 - The Coningsby Gallery, London, UK

Publications[edit]

In 1961, renowned photographer Werner Forman discovered the Art Centre by accident while shooting in Egypt. Forman and later his archive staff have been a primary international ambassador for the tapestries. He published two books available online for used book sellers.

"Tapestries from Egypt" by Ramses Wissa Wassef and Werner Forman, 1961, Hamlin Publishing Group
"Woven by Hand" by Ramses Wissa Wassef and Werner Forman, 1972, Hamlin Publishing Group

Other Publications
"Egyptian Tapestries from the Workshop of Ramses Wissa Wassef: An Experiment in Creativity" by Ceres Wissa Wassef, 1975, Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service
"Das Land am Nil" by Arne Eggebrecht, Eva Eggebrecht, Wilfried Seipel, 1979, Roemer- und Pelizaeus-Museum, Hildesheim
"Egyptian Landscapes, 1985" by Yoanna Wissa Wassef and Hilary Weir, 1985, Ramses Wissa Wassef (UK) Exhibition Foundation
"Egyptian Landscapes, 2006" by Suzanne Wissa Wassef, Yoanna Wissa Wassef and Hillary Weir, 2006, Ramses Wissa Wassef (UK) Exhibition Trust

Awards[edit]

  • Egyptian National Award For The Arts - 1961, for his stained-glass window designs for The Egyptian National Assembly building, Cairo
  • The Aga-Khan Architectural Award - 1983, for his achievements and particularly for the art center at Harrania, Giza

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Egyptvoyager.com, Wissa Wassef Arts Center Bio
  2. ^ "Welcome to the Ramses Wissa Wassef Centre". www.wissawassefartcenter.com. Retrieved 2018-02-24.
  3. ^ "Welcome to the Ramses Wissa Wassef Art School". www.wissawassefartcenter.com. Retrieved 2018-02-24.
  4. ^ a b "Archnet". archnet.org. Archived from the original on 2006-06-29. Retrieved 2018-02-24.
  5. ^ "Ramses Wissa Wassef Arts Centre | Aga Khan Development Network". www.akdn.org. Retrieved 2018-02-24.
  6. ^ "report1". www.wissa-wassef-arts.com. Retrieved 2018-02-24.
  • Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Center official website [1]
  • MIMAR 35: Architecture in Development by Taylor, Brian Brace, 1990
  • Architecture in Continuity by Cantacuzino, Sherban, 1985
  • MIMAR 5: Architecture in Development by Noweir, Sawsan, 1985
  • Egyptian Landscapes Fifty Years of Tapestry Weaving at the Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre, Cairo, Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Center, 2006

External links[edit]

Ramses Wissa Wassef architecture[edit]

Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre[edit]

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