Of all the countries in Africa, Egypt has always felt to me like the most colourful – not just in colour itself, but in meaning. Everywhere you look, there are symbols, patterns, stories, and layers of history woven into daily life. Gold does not hide in Egypt; it shines proudly in the sun, as it has done for thousands of years. Art is not separated from life there – it is life.
My first visit to Egypt left a deep mark on me. Standing before the pyramids for the first time, I felt small and silent in the best possible way. The orange sun stretched across the landscape, warming the sand and stone, and everything seemed to glow. It wasn’t loud or dramatic – it was calm, powerful, and timeless. Later, as I drifted in a small boat along the Nile, the water moving gently beneath me, I became completely quiet inside. I wasn’t trying to understand anything; I was simply present. That moment of stillness, surrounded by so much history, stayed with me long after I returned home.
That experience is the soul of Blue Cat of the Nile.
The pyramid in the background represents permanence – civilizations rising, falling, and leaving behind beauty that refuses to disappear. The golden Egyptian symbols painted on the woman and the cat are a tribute to a culture where every mark carried meaning, protection, and belief. Gold, for me, symbolizes not wealth, but reverence: the idea that life itself is sacred and worthy of decoration.
The blue cat holds a special place in this painting. Cats in ancient Egypt were guardians, protectors, and spiritual companions. By painting the cat blue – an uncommon, almost dreamlike colour – I wanted to give it a presence that feels both earthly and divine. It is calm, elegant, and watchful, just like the Nile itself. The woman beside the cat is not a portrait of a specific person; she represents connection – between past and present, human and animal, memory and imagination.
When I paint, I am not trying to recreate a photograph or a moment exactly as it happened. I paint how a place felt to me. Through Blue Cat of the Nile, I wanted to offer that feeling to others: the warmth of the sun, the quiet strength of ancient land, and the sense of peace that comes when you slow down and truly see.
My hope is that this painting brings its owner a small piece of sunshine every morning – a reminder of beauty, history, and calm. A moment of stillness in a busy world. That is what Egypt gave me, and that is what I love to pass on through my work.
