.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
Painted in 1968, Street of the Village exemplifies Inji Efflatoun’s post-incarceration period (1963–1973) a pivotal decade in her artistic development. During these years, her oeuvre was distinguished by a dynamic interplay of form and an earthy chromatic palette. Executed in her unmistakable hand, the work reveals her deliberate use of reserve, leaving passages of blank canvas to imbue the composition with an ethereal lightness. This spatial breathing animates the scene, imparting a sense of organic rhythm—as though the work itself were alive, gently stirred by a passing breeze.
A seminal figure of Egyptian Modernism, Efflatoun was not only a painter but also a committed feminist and political activist. Deeply engaged with the struggles of the working classes, she channelled their narratives and hardships into both her art and activism. In 1942, she joined the Communist Youth Party and, three years later, founded the League of University and Institutes’ Young Women. Her political commitments led to her arrest under Gamal Abdel Nasser’s regime, culminating in nearly four years of imprisonment beginning in 1959.
Following her release in 1963, Efflatoun’s practice underwent a profound transformation. She moved away from the stark idiom of social realism towards a more lyrical celebration of everyday life and the natural world–imagery that reflected her regained sense of personal and creative freedom. Today, her works are recognised internationally, featured in major exhibitions such as the 2024 Venice Biennale, and held in significant collections, including Museum of Modern Art, Cairo; Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha, and Barjeel Art Foundation, Sharjah.
A seminal figure of Egyptian Modernism, Efflatoun was not only a painter but also a committed feminist and political activist. Deeply engaged with the struggles of the working classes, she channelled their narratives and hardships into both her art and activism. In 1942, she joined the Communist Youth Party and, three years later, founded the League of University and Institutes’ Young Women. Her political commitments led to her arrest under Gamal Abdel Nasser’s regime, culminating in nearly four years of imprisonment beginning in 1959.
Following her release in 1963, Efflatoun’s practice underwent a profound transformation. She moved away from the stark idiom of social realism towards a more lyrical celebration of everyday life and the natural world–imagery that reflected her regained sense of personal and creative freedom. Today, her works are recognised internationally, featured in major exhibitions such as the 2024 Venice Biennale, and held in significant collections, including Museum of Modern Art, Cairo; Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha, and Barjeel Art Foundation, Sharjah.