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ARTIST’S
STATEMENT
PROFILE
Maher was born on February
23, 1952, in Cairo, Egypt to an Egyptian mother and an Italian father. He began
his career as an artist at the age of 13 when he began selling his
watercolors to tourists that depicted scenes of daily life amongst
the ancient ruins of Egypt. At age 14, he competed in an Egyptian
government-sponsored national competition and won Best of Show. This
resulted in a commission from the Ministry of Education in Cairo to
illustrate high school textbooks. By the age of 15, he had his first
one-man show in Cairo and started what would be a life long adventure
in the world of fine art. When it was time
for him to pursue a college education, his parents urged him to study
law or medicine because they wanted their son to be a "professional".
Instead he chose architecture, since it was the closest thing to art,
and still acceptable to his parents. It was during his college years
that he nurtured his love of music and learned to play the saxophone.
He concluded his formal education in 1968, by obtaining a degree in
both Architecture and Fine Art. After finishing
college, Morcos played his saxophone professionally for four years
in the nightclubs of Cairo. He then left Egypt to play with a jazz
band in Sudan. From there he ventured to Chicago where first began
to sell his work through established galleries such Circle Gallery
and Arts International Gallery. By 1971, he was
ready for another adventure so he traveled to Paris to study fashion
design. He eventually left Paris for the South of France where he
drew with pastels on the sidewalks of Nice and collected money in
a hat from tourists. Shortly after his adventure in France, Maher
returned to the United States in an effort to expand his exposure
through more galleries. But by 1974 he was again ready to travel,
and he journeyed to Rio de Janeiro where he spent a year taking in
the local scenery and carving out a living drawing on sidewalks once
again. Finally, in 1975,
Maher decided that it was time to take his career in art more seriously
and he returned to Chicago to focus on his passion for American western
art. His success in the field of western art was no small accomplishment.
Due to his Egyptian heritage, many art experts and collectors were
biased about his ability to truly capture the essence of the American
West. His determination to prove himself and overcome the prejudice
required him to be a far better artist than most American artists.
With lots of determination and talent he accomplished this goal, and
surprised the critics, by winning many medals and honors in prestigious
western art shows such as the Charles Russell show and the George
Phippen show. He was also invited to become a member of many prestigious
Western organizations including Western Heritage and the Western Artists
of America. Morcos has been
widely published; won innumerable awards, and is represented in the
finest corporate and private collections throughout the world. He
has clearly earned his position amongst the worlds most accomplished
artists regardless of the subject matter. He continues to explore
new worlds through his extensive travels and produce visual images
that have a way of captivating his audience and winning their respect.
REVIEW
“Cross culture,
time, and ethnic boundaries. Enter the world of Maher Morcos. Simply
ageless in style that is Morcos’ own image of elegance and perfection.
The magical fusion of his exquisite taste in color, meticulous skill,
and imaginative vision establish him as a master. Of Egyptian and
Italian descent, the secret understandings, shared commonalities,
unspoken fates of these two ancient cultures merged into the talent
that is uniquely Morcos. Morcos’ paintings
and sculptures contain the essence of sensuality, reflecting his understanding
of today’s changing climate… tomorrow’s uncertain evolution… and yesterday’s
languid acceptance and love of the luxurious. Sensuality moves
throughout Morcos’ body of work… in the rolling crevasses of a moody
landscape, the suggestive arabesque oppositions of female form… the
gentle flow of fabrics used to caress figures. …Timeless elegance… Luxurious sophistication… Precise execution… That is how Morcos’ art reaches into the soul and finds its place in the mind.” |
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