Footnotes

Provenance:
Property from the collection of AbdulMagid Breish, London

Published:
Louisa Macmillan, Mysa Kafil-Hussain et others, In Vested Interests: from Passion to Patronage, The AbdulMagid Breish Collection of Arab Art, Skira, Milan, 2020

El Zar – A rare and monumental composition by Omar El-Nagdi,
the largest Egyptian scene by the artist ever to come to market

"The Zaar ceremony is a living, breathing work of spiritual performance art. It is a dance between the seen and the unseen, a celebration of the soul's connection to the divine through music and movement."

Omar Nagdi's "El Zar": A Celebration of Ritual, Music, and Spirituality Omar Nagdi's painting "El Zar," a nearly four-meter-long masterpiece, stands as one of his most vibrant and significant works, encapsulating the rich cultural and spiritual tapestry of Egyptian life. "El Zar" is not merely a painting; it is a dynamic portrayal of the Zar ritual, a traditional healing ceremony deeply rooted in Egyptian folklore. Through his use of color, symbolism, and composition, Nagdi brings to life the intensity and spiritual fervor of the Zar, turning the painting into a piece of performance art.

The Zar Ritual: History and Significance

The Zar ritual, believed to have originated in East Africa and brought
to Egypt through Sudan, is a spiritual practice that blends elements of ancient African and Middle Eastern traditions. It is primarily a women- led ritual aimed at healing mental and physical ailments caused by spirit possession, known as "jin." The ceremony, which can last several days, involves music, dance, and animal sacrifices, all intended to appease the possessing spirits and bring peace to the afflicted individual.

In "El Zar," Nagdi masterfully captures the essence of this ritual, transforming the canvas into a space where the physical and
the metaphysical intersect. The painting's chaotic yet rhythmic composition mirrors the ebb and flow of the Zar ceremony, where participants, led by a spiritual leader engage in a trance-like dance to the hypnotic beats of traditional instruments.

Symbols and Ritual Elements in "El Zar"

Nagdi's "El Zar" is rich with symbols that are integral to the Zar ritual. One of the most prominent elements in the painting is the chicken, a crucial offering in the Zar. Chickens are often sacrificed during the ceremony to appease the spirits, symbolizing the transfer of the affliction from the human body to the animal.

The presence of Riq instruments, a type of tambourine, is another significant detail in the painting. The Riq, along with other traditional instruments like drums and cymbals, provides the rhythmic foundation of the Zar. The music, characterized by repetitive beats and escalating intensity, is essential for inducing the trance state necessary for the ritual's healing process. Nagdi's vibrant use of color around these instruments, particularly the deep blues and reds, evokes the energy and urgency of the music, making it almost audible to the viewer.

The dancing figures in the painting, with their exaggerated movements and overlapping forms, represent the participants who enter into ecstatic states during the ceremony. Their contorted postures and blurred outlines suggest the euphoria that occurs in a trance, where the dancers are believed to be inhabited by the spirits they seek to appease. Nagdi's use of layered, translucent colors here echoes the ethereal nature of the experience, blurring the lines between the corporeal and the spiritual.

The Confluence of Art, Spirituality, and Urban Life

"El Zar" is not just a depiction of a ritual; it is a celebration of the meeting point between music, dance, spirituality, and urban life in Egypt. Nagdi, who was deeply influenced by Egyptian folk traditions, uses this painting to highlight how the Zar, while ancient, remains a living, breathing part of contemporary Egyptian culture. The bustling, crowded composition reflects the communal nature of the Zar, where the boundaries between performer and participant, healer and healed, blur in the shared experience of the ritual.

Nagdi's bold use of color serves as a visual analogue to the music of the Zar. The swirling, overlapping hues of red, blue, green, and yellow mimic the layers of sound created by the instruments, while the pulsating rhythm of the brushstrokes mirrors the dance movements. The painting, in this sense, becomes a multi-sensory experience, engaging not just the eyes but also evoking the sounds and movements of the Zar.

Omar Nagdi's "El Zar" is a monumental work that transcends the boundaries of visual art to become a dynamic representation of one of Egypt's most enigmatic and enduring spiritual practices. Through his masterful use of symbolism, color, and composition, Nagdi captures the essence of the Zar ritual in all its complexity—its music, its movement, its spiritual depth, and its place in the urban fabric of Egyptian life. The painting stands as a testament to Nagdi's ability to blend tradition with modernity, creating a work that is both a homage to the past and a vibrant expression of contemporary cultural identity.