Fragments of Memory: An Interview with Sculptor Yasmine El Meleegy on Fathy Mahmoud’s Enduring Legacy
In the heart of Cairo, amidst the layers of history and art, sculptor Yasmine El Meleegy has been quietly reshaping the narrative of Egyptian artistic heritage. Through her work, she bridges the past and the present, bringing new life to forgotten objects and overlooked histories. Her latest project, To Mend Is to Shatter, is a striking reinterpretation of the work of our founder artist Fathy Mahmoud.
Using shattered pieces of porcelain, Yasmine reconstructs the mosaics, exploring the themes of preservation, destruction, and collective memory.
We sat down with Yasmine to discuss her artistic journey, her connection to Fathy Mahmoud’s work, and how his philosophy continues to shape Egyptian art today.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?
I am a multidisciplinary artist and sculptor based in Cairo, with a BFA in Painting from Helwan University (2013) and a Diploma in Multimedia from Ecole Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Nîmes (2014). My work draws from cultural objects and sociopolitical events in Egypt, exploring memory, repair, and materiality through sculpture, installations, and site-specific interventions.
I am particularly interested in the paradox of preservation and how objects can be both fragile and enduring, personal yet historical. My art practice revolves around acts of mending and reconstruction, using objects as tools for healing and reinterpreting the past.
What attracted you to Fathy Mahmoud, especially decades after his passing? How did he inspire you?
The moment I turned a porcelain cup signed by Fathy Mahmoud upside down, the project began. It was part of my late mother’s collection, and I had never noticed it before. Days earlier, I had learned about Mahmoud’s work as a sculptor and industrialist and how he had designed some of the most iconic public statues in Cairo and Alexandria and had also founded a porcelain factory.
The coincidence struck me deeply. Fathy Mahmoud was not just an artist; he was a bridge between art and industry, between high art and everyday life. His porcelain pieces, found in so many Egyptian homes, were a quiet but powerful continuation of his artistic vision. I became fascinated by this duality; his role as both a sculptor and an industrialist, and how his legacy had been absorbed into daily life, often without recognition.
How do you think Fathy Mahmoud changed the artistic scene in Egypt? How does his influence continue today?
Mahmoud was a pioneer in merging art with industry, a vision deeply tied to the sociopolitical shifts of his time. He believed that art should not be confined to elite galleries but should be part of everyday life, hence his concept of the “Art for Millions.” His work blurred the lines between fine art and functional design, between public monuments and household objects.
Even today, his influence lingers in ways we may not immediately recognize. The mass production of art, the conversation between craftsmanship and industry, the role of artists in shaping public space. These are all debates that remain relevant in Egypt’s artistic landscape. His work raises critical questions about who art is for, how it circulates, and how it intersects with power and politics.
What does Mahmoud’s philosophy, “art for the millions, from them and for them,” mean to you as an artist?
To me, it speaks to the idea that art should not be exclusive. Art should exist in public spaces, in homes, in everyday interactions. It should be accessible, meaningful, and deeply connected to the people it represents.
Mahmoud’s philosophy challenges the notion of art as a luxury. Instead, it becomes a shared cultural inheritance and something that belongs to everyone. This idea resonates with my own practice. I work with materials that have been discarded, overlooked, or broken, and I give them new meaning. In a way, it’s about reclaiming history, about making sure that stories and artistic legacies don’t disappear.
Can you tell us about your exhibition To Mend Is to Shatter? What inspired you to use Fathy Mahmoud’s broken tableware to recreate his mosaics?
The concept of breaking and mending has always been central to my work. When I came across Mahmoud’s porcelain, I saw an opportunity to physically engage with his legacy. His factory-produced plates and cups were once part of Egyptian households, but they had become relics of a past era. I wanted to reassemble them into something new that acknowledged both their fragility and their endurance.
Your project also includes a book, "A Cup of Tea with Fathy Mahmoud". Can you tell us about that?
The book is an extension of my research into Mahmoud’s legacy. It’s not just a documentation of my work; it’s an artistic piece in itself. It contains a series of 13 fictional letters that I wrote to Mahmoud between 2019 and 2022. In these letters, I engage with his artistic practice, his industrial legacy, and the broader relationship between art and power.
Through this intimate format, I explore both personal and collective memory. Writing to Mahmoud allowed me to weave fact and fiction, to imagine conversations that never took place but should have. It became a way of tracing alternative histories and imagining futures that never came to be.
