Finding Zahran
Finding Zahran
أخضر
Zahran was born in 1939 on a farm in Monifia, Egypt. As the son of a humble farmer, Zahran’s rural childhood would later inform many of the artistic themes he would focus on throughout his career - comfortably rendering farm scenes and animals.
Growing up with modest means, he earned a grit that would reflect in his artistic production and style. Zahran’s realism often came stamped with a noted austerity and he frequently framed the paintings himself - a cost-saving habit he carried deep into his career.
At the top of the provincial school rankings, Zahran was awarded a cash prize, which he promptly used to pay off his father’s farm debt. The remainder he used to pay for tuition in the big city.
أزرق
Zahran left the farm and enrolled in the Faculty of Fine Arts in Cairo to specialize in Art. Thrown into a bustling city and immersed in a rigorous curriculum, Zahran found purpose in developing his talent. His skill and drive put him at the top of the class, in competition with Abdel Ghaffar Shedid (the first rank won tuition for the following year). Needing the aid, the dynamic between the two turned into a rivalry, Zahran winning some years, Ghaffar others - the pressure and stakes caused nightmares.
Years later, Ghaffar, living in Germany and the top candidate for a renovation project, would call his old rival and invite him to renovate a cathedral in Wittenberg, Germany together.
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Cairo served as Zahran’s home base for nearly 30 years until the 1998 fire in Musafir Khana destroyed his studio and prompted a migration to his property in Ras Sadr.
أسود
From 1988-1993, Zahran was in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia directing the Kingdom’s military magazine, Al-DifaA. Recent Scholarship indicates he was actively painting during this period, but less is known about the 'Saudi Years' comparatively to Green and Blue.
Zahran’s responsibilities as editor for Al-DifaA included design and visual asset curation. He also contributed his own sketches and art to the quarterly publication.
During these years away from Cairo, Zahran wrote letters to his family, including his daughter Amani - who, in 1988, was beginning her journey at the Falculty of Fine Arts - often providing advice and artistic guidance for the young artist.
A letter of appreciation and thanks from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Zahran's 5 years as Director of the magazine Al-DifaA.أصفر
Zahran spent his final years (1998-2012) in Ras Sadr on the Red Sea, frequently painting seascapes, garden scenes and also writing.