In the canvases of Wassef Boutros-Ghali, a sea of Aegean inspired blue is dotted with black sails. Colors informed by a knowledge of unrelenting sunlight flood the flat plane of the canvas. Architectural forms emerge, collide and re-engineer themselves without a narrative in dazzling abstract compositions. With subjects based on mythology, on nuanced observations of daily life or stories conjured with the simplicity of dreams, Boutros-Ghali’s artwork speaks to the pure and unrestricted physicality of painting.
Born in Cairo to a family of statesmen and politicians, Wassif Boutros-Ghali was drawn to the arts at an early age. As early as 12 years old he demonstrated great natural skill as a draftsman. He joined the studio of Jaro Hilbert, a classically trained painter and inspirational teacher. Boutros-Ghali set aside the political legacy of his family and devote himself to a career in architecture, and then turned to painting.
Boutros-Ghali served as a technical consultant for the environment and urbanism with the United Nations and executed buildings in Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the Sudan, in addition to growing his commitment to his artwork. Though oil on canvas was initially the artist’s preferred medium, political revolution and a necessary relocation in 1963 interrupted the evolution of his work as well as his choice of materials. Without the luxury of space and with a limited access to painting supplies, Boutros-Ghali produced a series of china ink drawings. The limitations of this new medium provided the artist a tremendous refuge. His experiments veered from abstract to surrealist to constructivist. The free-flowing aspect of the work from this period continues to inform later works and drawing remains a passion.
A move to New York in 1971 also served as a kind of awakening. The vivacity of the city, the art world buzz of abstract expressionism and the power of minimalist painting and design re- energized his art making practice. Canvases became larger in scale. Acrylics replaced oils as the medium of choice. Figurative improvisations gave way to overtly abstract forms. In the spirit of Rothko and Reinhardt, his canvases sought equilibrium by way of surfaces drenched in singular color. Thus, his nuanced geometric forms became alive inside the field. A return to Cairo in 1985 finally allowed Boutros-Ghali the freedom to pursue his practice without interruption. Increasingly the artist seeks to harness vibrant color to articulate motion/energy within the box of the canvas. His current compositions reflect a meticulous yet openhearted response to the human condition; marvels of reason buoyed by a lifetime’s worth of lyricism.
Wassef Boutros-Ghali passed away on March 15, 2023 at 98 years old in Cairo. He painted up until his death.
