“We can look at the zodiac world as an amazing display of the beauty and consistency of the universe, a symbolic language and an art form that has a profound impact on our cultures.”
This was how Mai Heshmat described her new exhibition, ‘Zodiac Circles’, which delves deep into the world of astrology in an artistic way.
Heshmat, a graduate of the College of Art Education, said zodiac symbols are like magic that transports her into a world that captivates her as if she were a child.
“It takes me away from reality and fills me with the deep influences of the stories and legends that merge with my memory’s store of decorations,” she told the Egyptian Mail in an interview. “My sense of fascination with this world and its details appears precisely in all works.”
This is manifested in all the 12 different women captured in the works showcased in the exhibition.
All of these women are subject to the influence of their astrological signs and ancient myths.
However, they are all similar in that they are trapped inside circles. Some of the women trapped inside the circles try to get out of them, but others are adapting and trying to co-exist.
After graduating from the College of Art Education in 2001, Heshmat studied criticism at the Academy of Arts.
She obtained a diploma in art criticism from the academy. She is now a member of the Art Syndicate.
Heshmat has been an active player of the local fine art scene since 2007.
She brought some of her works to the World Tourism Day celebration in the Red Sea Governorate on September 27 last year, along with the works of a distinguished group of other Egyptian and foreign artists.
Heshmat finds what she describes as ‘deep’ and ‘mysterious’ meanings in the circles captured in her works.
“They are the embodiment of eternity with no beginning and no end,” she said. “They are an endless cycle of discoveries mixed with the taste of mysterious life and inevitable fate.”
The zodiac is a great circle that determines the path of the sun among the stars. It consists of 12 constellations, as defined by ancient people in historically important astronomical traditions.
It displays the beauty and consistency of the universe, a symbolic language and an art form that has a profound impact on our cultures.
It has become a well-established tradition for most people, including those who are eager to know their fate, by reading a cup, as well as palmistry, or through fortune-telling.
Astrological symbols have had an impact on art, music, and literature.
William Shakespeare used them in describing the motives of his characters and revealing the fate of the individual and his luck from his horoscope.
In music, the best example came in the works of Gustav Holst, especially ‘The Planets’.
“He aimed in every movement to convey thoughts and emotions related to the influence of the planets on the soul,” Heshmat said.
Zodiac Circles runs until February 3 at the Picasso Art Gallery in Zamalik. The gallery is open every day, except Sunday.
