Salah Taher

Salah Taher
Colourful Tunes, but listen with the eye

In pensive mood he talked: "I paint exactly as some would breathe, walk or sleep; just let myself do it, but certainly some contemplation before that would do.

He is a player on strings of colours, magnificent creator in Modern Egyptian fine arts world; that is the Egyptian artist Salah Taher.

A1 Akad - prominent Egyptian author - described him as the fruit of art, softness of touch, bravery of colours genius of soul, specifity of Eldin Taher was born in the eastern district of A1Abassia in center of Cairo.

He was brought up in a house fond of literary heritage. His father was one of the greatest businessmen, but crazy about old Arabic literature.

Due to his care, Salah, the youngest son, had learned so many of the old Arabic poems. He was given one piaster in return for learning one poem.

Moreover, his elder brother Mohamed Diaa Eldin helped the process, by narrating to him the biography of notable artists as Rafael, Michael-Anglo and De Vincci, also he showed him the paintings of them all. Besides, he bought him pens, colours and paper and encouraged him to paint natural scenes while he was still an eight-year old.

Taher was greatly attached to art and he remembers when he was eight years old, a friend of his father asked him ,"what do you want to be?", he replied I want to be a great painter as Rafael. His father's friend laughed.

Fine Arts High School was the next stage to get acquainted with art in Salah's life, and he graduated from that school in 1934. He got a degree in photography.

He describes academic study as a very essential stage for any artist, yet it is not capable of forming his character, he says, "as art is based on creation and this can not be made by mere study, but by a talent capable of creation."

So every artist should create his own style for people to be able to recognize his own paintings without signing on them, otherwise, "his paintings will never be a work of art".

After graduation, Taher worked in so many cities such as Alexandria and Menia, as a painting teacher (1934 - 1942).

15,000 Pictures

Being widely famous and greatly acquainted with humanitarian study, Salah created magnificent works of art that made him very distinguished among the Arab artists as he gave more than 15 thousand pictures. In the thirties, he had started his career in painting with classical academic steps; by imitating nature. Yet soon afterwards, he moved on from depicting nature to form by drawing some geometric shapes. Later on from 1962 uptill now, his abstract expressionistic style has been crystallizing.

He had chosen this kind of art because abstract art is the soul of the age and embodies the harmonious colours and expressive lines.

How do you paint? P> "Before painting, I always meditate then I create. Also yoga was very useful to me psychologically and physically as I practice it now for more than 40 years.

"After meditation, I start painting and the idea is formed, I draw so spontaneously, there is no specific rule. The artist should have the ability to imagine, his treasures of imagination must come through". Taher believes that music played a very essential role in forming his creation. He emphasized that music was the pillar of his artistic work. He says he was fond of music and played violin when he was a child. "And in every picture I try to achieve music rules. Consequently, through vision, you can feel these rules by your eyes. While painting, I used to listen to symphonies of genius composers. Also I listen to oriental music".

After graduation, he, for the first time, had sold a picture of a natural scene. It was priced 3 pounds. While- his "Crowd" was of 20,000$. He refuses to sell his pictures, right now, as he believes that he has to keep for his family his history. Also he says that he can not paint better than the already sold. He regrets selling any picture, at all, as if he had lost part of himself.

Taher says that the happiest moment in his opinion is when he enjoys watching his own and others creations. He can not stand triviality, idle gossip and he does not want to deal with a stupid person.

Taher adds that if life had met the emotional needs of man, art would not have existed. "We can assume that life and universe are the utmost happiness. Yet, man can not realize the real meaning of beauty hidden in them by his five senses".

Consequently, he can not hear, by his limited sense, the harmonious music of the Universe. So, when man felt that he was in want of something he created art to satisfy his inner self...He insisted on the fact that art can produce every thing in life. "If we elevate the senses of citizens by art, we can make new civilization.'' Taher believes that the ancient Egyptian civilization was based on three pillars: art, life and the hereafter.

Family life

Taher had married twice. The first time, he married while he was still young and such a marriage had lasted for one year and a half. Five years later, he married Mrs. Aida Tawfeek who was fond of pottery, and gave birth to their only child, Ayman. She died in 1984. His grandsons, Salah and Alaa Ayman Taher are both talented.

Grandson Salah is fond of sculpture, especially of wood, Alaa is fond of painting. In addition, their father graduated from Fine Arts Faculty and he is a camera-man in cinema and a photographer as well.

Fairs

Taher had held more than 80 art fairs in which he had exhibited his works in Egypt and in other countries, namely in such cities as: Venice, Cairo, New York, San Francisco, Geneva, Beirut, Kuwait, Jeddah. Also he had participated in 67 collective fairs in Egypt...He also won a lot of local and international prizes.