Letters from Um el-Dunya: Journeys Through Modern Egypt

November 15, 2007: 3:00 PM

Alice Peters Auditorium

Letters from Um el-Dunya: Journeys through Modern Egypt and
Presentation of Imagery from a Recent Visit to Egypt
by
Dr. Sameh El Kharbawy, Assoc. Prof. of Art and Design
and
Bill Minschew, Professor Emeritus of Art

Beyond romantic visions of ancient monuments, awe-inspiring pyramids, turquoise beaches, majestic minarets and desert sunsets, this Portrait reveals one of the greatest places of the modern imagination, and tells the story of its extraordinary and cosmopolitan people.

Drawing on observations and friendships past and present, a narrative is weaved around a collection of letters and poems that Dr. El Kharbawy has received, for over ten years, from "Um el-Dunya". In those letters, there is a fascinating study of a uniquely modern place, and a special window onto its majestic and fascinating capital, Cairo , revealing the grandeur of its art and architecture, the beauty of its poetry, its multi-layered complexity and centuries of historical change and upheaval.

In those letters, a broader appreciation of the intricate textures of the modern Middle East emerges.

Bill Minschew, internationally renowned artist and Professor Emeritus of Art, will showcase and speak about his latest work that is a contemporary integration of ancient Egypt inspired by a recent visit there.