Located in the heart of Cairo, where ancient minarets touch the sky and street performers bring art to every corner, lies Tintera, the gallery representing the city’s leading photographers.
Across the 19th century, photography picked up across Egypt and this visual dialogue between Egyptian culture and photographers has continued ever since. Leading them now is Tintera. As the only private gallery in Egypt dedicated to fine art photography, Tintera shepherds many of the city’s – and beyond – most exciting photographers.
Zein Khalifa & Heba Farid, ©Freddy Eskaros
Founded in 2019 by Zein Khalifa and Heba Farid, the gallery represents photographers with different affiliations to Cairo, who explore everything from female liberation in Sudan to Belle Epoque Egypt through their work.
With the well-anticipated opening of The Grand Egyptian Museum this November, and as all eyes turn to Cairo and its storied cultural history, we caught up with the captivating duo behind Tintera, Zein Khalifa and Heba Farid. Ahead of their debut at 1-54 London this week, they share why photography is so important to culture and history in Cairo, the exciting photographers to keep an eye on, as well as where to stay, eat, and visit during your next trip to Egypt’s capital.
Hashim Nasr, Breathing Above Water 2, 2022_Archival pigment print 62.6 x 47.6 cm_A Leap into A Dream,_Courtesy of the Artist
Your debut at 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair is this week! Who are you looking forward to exhibiting?
ZK – At 1-54 London we will be exhibiting work from Ibrahim Ahmed’s series i never revealed myself to them (2016-ongoing), an extensive body of work with numerous iterations through which he examines masculinity(ies), its traditions and representations. Alongside Ahmed’s photo-collages we will be exhibiting work by Sudanese self-taught artist Hashim Nasr. Living in Egypt since the start of the 2023 war in Sudan, Nasr’s recent work delves into the emotional complexities of exile, exploring themes of heritage, identity, and memory through surreal and avant-garde imagery.
How about at Paris Photo this autumn?
ZK – At Paris Photo we are thrilled to be presenting a solo booth by Bernard Guillot, (b.1950 – d.2021) a French artist who lived and worked in Cairo for 45 years. Renowned for his evocative fusion of painting and photography, his work is characterised by a poetic, mystical approach that explores themes of time, identity, and the in-between states of existence.
Has art always played an important role in your lives?
ZK – Yes. My earliest memories as a child are accompanying my parents to art gatherings at The Sultan Gallery in Kuwait. Najat Sultan along with her brother Ghazi were instrumental in promoting young Arab artists and encouraging children to participate in art activities. Only reflecting on it now, can I see how influential that early exposure was on me.
HF – Art has always been present and a core interest in my life too. I am mostly interested in art from the perspective of practitioners. I find it fascinating how artists conceptualise their work and take it from idea to material reality.
When and how did your careers in art begin?
ZK – I was introduced to all the wonderful museums and galleries that London has to offer when I first moved here aged nine. I also studied Art History in the UK and went on to study Photography at university in America. During that time, I was lucky to intern at Time/Life Pictures and immerse myself in the New York art world of the late 80s. I worked as a portrait photographer and later completed my MA in the History of Photography; and I would say that is where my current career really started. An internship at the Victoria and Albert Museum followed by a few years at a leading art gallery in London set the foundation for starting my own business.
HF – Having lived all my childhood and university years outside Egypt, I was fortunate to be exposed to a wide variety of expressions of culture and art. At university in Canada and later the US, where I studied both architecture and art for many years, studying the history of architecture and art led me to explore my own conceptual frameworks and practices. Eventually I left architecture to pursue an artistic career primarily focused on photography. The creation of photographic series – including producing them in the darkroom – felt rewarding. In an unexpected turn of events, I found myself in Cairo where I found a vibrant art scene full of potential. It did not take long for me to begin exploring ways on how I could engage with the development of photography within the design, urbanism, and art scenes in Cairo.
Ibrahim Ahmed, you can’t recognise what you don’t know, Figure #7, 2020, unique photocollage, 37.1×20.7cm Courtesy of TINTERA
How did you meet, and how was Tintera born?
HF – Cairo is an amazing creative crossroad – we are fortunate to meet all sorts of interesting people here, especially those with shared interests. In 2004, I was a founding board member for a new artist-run institution dedicated to visual image called Contemporary Image Collective, which is still running today. I remember meeting Zein during an open house evening to discuss the potential of gearing up our photography courses. Later we met again while I was a program coordinator for photographic heritage at a research centre called CultNat that is part of the Library of Alexandria, but in Cairo. We remained connected through our shared dedication to photography and after a few years of exploring how we could best make a difference in the field we opened Tintera.
ZK – Our shared passion and respect for photography brought us together and after years of keeping in touch and talking about what we could do to support photography in Egypt, Tintera was born.
What is the meaning behind the gallery name, Tintera?
ZK – Tintera takes its inspiration from the ancient Egyptian town of Dendera where a relief on the walls (an art sculpture) of the Temple of Hathor shows the sun projecting its rays on the land. It’s both a nod to 19th century photography and the early photographers who travelled here. Tintera is also a play on a photographic sounding name tint/era, similar to tintype.
Tintera represents many of Egypt’s finest conceptual photographers – how do you scout these artists? What do you look for?
ZK – When we opened in 2019 we were already close to all the photographers we showed. After that we began meeting artists who came to visit the gallery and at times have followed some photographers on Instagram.
Hashim Nasr, Blue Ecstasy, 2022_Archival pigment print 62.6 x 47.6 cm, A Leap into A Dream_Courtesy of the Artist
Exciting exhibitions coming up at Tintera that we need to see? Highlights?
ZK – We have some very exciting exhibitions in the works – the first will open this October; a solo show by Lara Baladi, a multi-media artist whose work explores personal histories set against socio-political narratives. This will be Baladi’s first exhibition back in Cairo after returning from 12 years spent at Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a fellow and lecturer. For January we are working on a show with the Finnish artist Nanna Hänninen, a leading member of the Helsinki School. Her three-week residency in Egypt last year resulted in Oasis of Life, a new series of hand painted images of desert oases that expand on her acclaimed Painted Desert series. Next April we will be transforming the gallery with a photographic/sculptural installation by Ibrahim Ahmed which is curated by Ahmed Shawky.
Favourite projects you have worked on together to date?
ZK – We’ve been lucky to have worked on several incredible shows. Our first solo exhibition at Tintera was The Tour by Barry Iverson. Iverson’s series combines 19th century Egyptian studio images with images of Egypt made by Iverson himself. Using digital collage, he inserts his 19th century characters into the present day. Not only are the images beautiful but also puzzling, making you question the medium and its ability to manipulate visuals. Xenia Nikolskaya’s solo show DUST: Past and Present was very rewarding. Nikolskaya first presented this work in 2012 at the Townhouse Gallery in Cairo, but due to the lack of any existing gallery to permanently house this work, it was not seen again in Egypt until Tintera opened. This gave a new life to an important body of work that still has an audience. By exhibiting Nikolskaya’s work AUC press was encouraged to publish the second edition of DUST, a book they had previously rejected. DUST is AUC’s first photobook and it continues to be a best-seller. Nikolskaya’s sumptuous colour images capture the vanishing architecture of Belle Epoque Egypt.
Marwan El Dewey’s solo show Terra Incognito in 2023 was also exciting to work on. El Dewey is a great example of someone who we met due to having a physical space – Tintera. He came to Tintera to introduce his work in landscape and nature; beautiful colour images made during the 1990s of remote areas in Egypt. But as our conversations deepened we soon realised that El Dewey’s relationship with photography was much longer, richer and varied than what we were seeing. Visiting his archive of thousands of prints, slides and negatives it was clear to us that El Dewey’s work: black and white abstract female nudes that were studies in light and composition, an exploration of form and texture, and documentation of time and place, were an important contribution to our understanding of photography in Egypt. The history of photography in Egypt, especially the 1970s through the 1990s is under researched and undocumented. Rather than seeing it as a blank moment in history we can see now that it was a moment of freer expression and avant-garde practices.
Insider Guide To Cairo
Best time of year to visit?
ZK – From October through January. The weather is wonderful, and the art scene is the most vibrant.
Favourite hotels to stay at?
ZK – Mazeej Balad, a stylish boutique hotel for close proximity to The Egyptian Museum, Sofitel for towering views right over the Nile, and Brassbell Studios in Zamalek where modern, studio apartments are available to book.
Outside of Tintera, the exhibitions we need to see this autumn?
HF – There are so many independent galleries around Cairo. Always keep an eye out for what’s on at local art galleries (and artist-run centres) near where you are staying on a weekly basis, as schedules are not announced far in advance.
Where do you go in Cairo when you need to feel inspired?
ZK – Inspiration is everywhere in Cairo! On my daily walk to the gallery something always catches my eye.
Where do you go to eat/relax in between gallery hopping in Cairo?
ZK – Zööba for a quick snack, Al Dayaa for a light Lebanese lunch, the rooftop at Mazeej Balad downtown for dinner.
What should we book this autumn/winter?
ZK – All eyes will be on the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) this November! Alongside the GEM the fifth edition of the international art exhibition Forever is Now is scheduled to take place on the Giza plateau starting end of October. The third edition of Cairo Design Week will this year spread its wings and pop up in Zamalek, Heliopolis, and Downtown Cairo over a ten-day period starting 20 November.
For you, what’s the relationship like between art and day-to-day life in Cairo?
HF – The contemporary visual art scene in Cairo does have its audience, with international artists and curators always present. Local culture is always full of music, cinema and food culture.
Where would you like to see Cairo’s art industry go next – is there anything you’d like to see change or stay the same?
ZK – There are always changes needed but for a start it would be wonderful if there were writers able to critique and comment on the art that is happening, to share awareness.
HF – Vibrant and challenging art scenes require education, funding, infrastructure, exposure and discourse. With all the challenges that artists in Egypt have faced over the last 20 to 25 years, it is impressive that we have many quality artists in a variety of mediums and an artisan community that can make things happen. Cairo is a place of endless potential.
If you had to sum up Cairo’s art scene in a few words, what would they be?
ZK – Expanding, diverse, exciting.
HF – Endless possibilities and adventures.
Lead image credit: Bryony Dunne Youssef with Shams (horse) 2017. Courtesy of Tintera gallery and the artist.
We may earn a commission if you buy something from any affiliate links on our site.
Any Questions or Tips to add?