Khotoum

NERMINE SAID
Costume Installation Exhibition
Inspired By Abd El Hady El Gazzar

www.facebook.com/khotoum
Hashtag: #KHOTOUM

About The Artist

NERMINE SAID, an Egyptian Costume designer,
graduated from AUC majoring in theater. Nermine
received her diploma in fashion design and
dress-making from the University of Pennsylvania
in 2002 and a post graduate diploma in folklore
from The Egyptian Academy of Arts in 2005.
Nermine Said designs costumes for both theater
and cinema. She is interested in the analysis of
characters, symbolic powers of accessories, and
the psychological influence of colours. However,
through her passion to drama and scenography,
Nermine has broadened her interests to include
visual arts and installations.

I am you, you are me

You were me.. when..
I were you

I wear you, you wear me

I touch you..
Through your suffering

You indulge.. In my pain

Is there a way out..
of being you..??

Her latest credits include designing the costumes for:

"El Nas el Fou2k", a play directed by Mahmoud el Lozy.
"No Exit", a play directed by Omar El-MoutazBel'lah (Teatro independent theater).
"Suicidal Notions", a film directed by Iman El Nagar
Oedipus in Egypt", a play directed by Sabri El-Hamus (Amsterdam,
Holland).

Through fabrics, patterns, colours, accessories and coups

speaks the unspoken, unfolding secrets that lay beneath
layers of beliefs and traditions. Those secrets are taboos
locked behind seals. They only open up to those seeking answers, and dared ask the forbidden question.

CapcanaTimpului", a play directed by Gabriela Dumitru (Bucharest,

Romania).

Nermine Said Cairo, 2014

About Khotoum
KHOTOUM is a Costume Design (installation &
photography) exhibition that is inspired by the
great Egyptian Painter, Abd El-Hady el Gazzar. It is
about women, and for the women still suffering
daily from the oppression and social strains that
prevent them from becoming who and how they
want to be.
KHOTOUM literally means Seals in Arabic,
stands for womens causes and their rights. It
reveals and lights up those issues that are considered as Taboos in back-warded, religious, & conservative society. Those issues have been locked
behind seals for long time, hence, forgotten. Issues
like Child Marriage, Sexual Objectification of
Women, Deprivation of Self-expression, and Societal Hypocrisy. KHOTOUM unlocks those seals in a
fearless attempt to expose and discuss these
taboos hoping to spread more awareness about
womens right to live and exist in a non-sexist and
non-judgmental society.

Khotoum Inspirations
KHOTOUM is inspired by the great Egyptian Painter Abd El-Haddy
El-Gazzar.
El Gazzar(1925-1966) is one of the pioneers in Post-modern Egyptian
art. He occupies a unique position among the artists of his generation.
Even after his death, his work continues to challenge artists, intellectuals, and critics, both in Egypt, and abroad. Gazzar's paintings are true
reflections of the Egyptian society of the 1940s to 1960s. He uses colours and motifs as symbolic language to depict social and moral behavior in Egyptian society, which had been captured in many academic
researches. However, mostly in the research work of Dr. Adeela Esmat
in her study "The folk Motifs in El-Gazzar's paintings and their symbols in
Egyptian Folklore, analytical study" that, uniquely, focused upon the predominant socio-historic and folk artistic influence of the indigenous Egyptian society upon the works of El- Gazzar.
Through that profound research, as an Egyptian.. woman.. and a costume designer, Nermine Said was intrigued by the symbolic and meaningful messages behind Gazzar's paintings that shed light on womens
status in Egyptian society.
The following paintings were the inspiration behind KHOTOUM:
The Green Fool, Zelikha's wedding, The woman with an anklet, and
The popular chorus

Khotoum Reflections
1st reflection: The seal of The green fool
In a conservative society and under the pretense
of religion, traditions and customs, many of the
taboos against women were set, masks were
worn, instincts dominated common sense, and
madness prevailed.
KHOTOUM views a society", even though its artificial greenish post modernization glamour,
weaves its spiders web to suck the life out of
women who dare to question the real meaning of
their existence.

2nd Reflection: The seal of Zelikhas wedding

KHOTOUM sees Zelikha as a prey that was thrown in a closed ring, chased and left bleeding
before finally being killed.
Zelikha is a victim of our society, her childhood was destroyed and her innocence was raped.
Moreover, we burden her with responsibilities she is not physically or psychologically ready for.
We even condemn her if she dares to fail in any of those hefty responsibilities.

Khotoum Reflections
3rd Reflection: The seal of Woman with an
anklet
In a religious conservative society, women sexual
life is only confined to that one after marriage. And
even then, it is considered a taboo to speak out her
innate desires or needs. Paradoxically, we raise
girls as sexual objects.. Commodities ready to be
purchased for the highest price. As a matter of
fact, virginity is a precondition that always guarantees a good deal.. For every party..

4th Reflection: The Seal of The Popular Chorus

In a society that looks upon women as a taboo, her image and voice are preconditioned to be
locked behind that obscuring .. rather deforming veil ... depriving her from all her rights. She is
not allowed to discuss out her needs, desires, thoughts, dreams, ambitious, and goals. Deprivation of self-expression, that institutionally humiliates women at her home and work, is part of
the daily socially accepted practice.
Forced to provide for themselves and their families, some women have to step into that large,
ugly and harsh world where there is no respect for them as human beings, let alone their
gender; even though they abide to those social preconditions.

Khotoum Exhibition

Installation

Installation

Photography

Photography

Khotoum Credits
Designer/Project Art Director:
Nermine Said
Photographer: Sameh Wassef
Photo Art Director: Amall Ishak
Make-up Artist: May Nabil
Models: Sandra Assad, May Nabil, Rana el
Mougi
Marketing Consultant: Mohamed El
Shahed
Media Planner and Communication
Consultant: Nirvana Said
Ingez crew:Saber El Sayed/Ahmed
Ashmawy/
Basel Nzmy/Sayed Naggar/Ahmed Ismaeil
Graphics Sr. Art Director: Marwa Mostafa
Main Tailor: Sobhy Mohamady
Tailor: Nefisa.
Jewelry craftsman: Ahmed kama
Event Photographer: Rami Ibrahim (Momo)
Special thanks to:
Dr. Leela Esmat
Dr. Ahmed Khoga
Ahmed El Attar
Aiman Azabawi
Ismaelia Company
Eng: Mohamed Hassan
Nevine El-Ibiary
Karim Abd El-malak
Ismail Al-Bahar
Omar Barazi

Khotoum Creative Team. Who is who

Nermine Said

Designer/Project Artistic Director

Egyptian Costume designer, graduated from AUC
majoring in theater. Nermine received her diploma
in fashion design and dress-making from the University of Pennsylvania in 2002 and a post graduate
diploma in folklore from The Egyptian Academy of
Arts in 2005.

Sameh Wassef
Photographer
| Egypt| Cairo based photographer Sameh Wassef is considered
one of the most well established reliable highly technical commercial photographers in the Egyptian market , covering wide range
of photography: food, products and interiors, landscapes and
travel shots. Recently, Sameh received technical training for products and interiors in both Germany and Dubai.

Khotoum Creative Team. Who is who

Amall Ishak
Photo Art Director
Amall Ishak , Egyptian, Cairo based, female photographer. Amall Started professional photography in 2007 after quitting her Pharmaceutical career. Being people oriented, Ishak
specialized in portrait and wedding photography in Egypt and abroad. Ishak also has experience in stage photography, and one of her latest work in this field was with the great Ziad
Rahbani on his visits to Cairo, 2013. She participated in workshops with the distinctive fashion photographer Manny Librodo, and gave some photography workshops as well. Now her
work expanded to shooting fashion and commercial work, as well as participating in artistic
projects

May Nabil
Make Artist
Enthusiast Cairo-based 35 years old independent Makeup Artist May Nabil has been the subject of multiple
impacts. Her passion for most Art aspects pulled her after college studies of French Literature & History
towards the world of Fashion & Makeup Artistry.
For May, it is a matter of visual concepts as much as a craft. Therefore, she joined a 2 years Fashion Design formation at LInstitut Technique de la Mode, followed by 6 months Makeup course at Rasuola Lauren private
Studio where she learned various techniques and landed the Independent Theatre scene to practice the artistry. Being a dedicated backstage team member with Teatro Independent Theatre Group since 2007, allowed
May to expand her skills and future vision on how she want to proceed her Artistry path.
Designing Makeup profiles as well as styling for international Artists like Salom Bumlin Photography project
& other independent local photographers, fueled her imagination to create makeup designs for video art and
stage performances where she project herself and other individuals fantasies. May is currently experimenting
with different material & ideas and soon shall release her major personalized Makeup Portfolio
Photo Courtesy: Mohamed Khalifa

Khotoum Creative Team. Who is who

Sandra Assaad
Zelikhas Wedding
Sandra works as a wedding planner and currently finishing her studies in Film making at the French university in Cairo. Sandra directed her first short movie "Paulette" in 2013, and currently preparing for her
second one. As a wedding planner, Sandra had always dealt with brides and wedding ceremonies; Maybe
that what made her connect in a way with Zelikha, but in a different context. Being zelikha was challenging
and provocative, Sandra had to plunge deep inside herself to be able to express Zelikha's feelings.

Rana El Mogui
The popular Chorus
An aspiring artist, currently working in a corporate job
without lamenting, lots of women are compelled to (work under dire circumstances and) undergo lots of
hardship alongside the tough nature of their jobs, to tolerate the draconian conditions of our retrogressive society and its hostility toward her participation in the work field. All these impediments have to be endured with all tolerance to be able to support her unemployed husband and feed her children.

Khotoum Creative Team. Who is who

Marwa Mostafa
Graphics Sr. Art Director
Graduated from Fine Arts University. Senior Art Director with an eye for innovation, perfection and well over 14
years of experience in the creative design field in multinational agencies and solid foundation of knowledge that
helps execute successful concepts and solve problems through design for international level clientele. Her greatest expertise revolves in brand identity design, magazines and print collateral. Studying Traditional Arts | Interior
Design and wish to combine her knowledge and experience to deliver the best creative Artwork to audiences.

Ingez Crew
Professional Technical Crew specialized in setting up performances, (Theater, Dance)
exhibitions, museums, and musical concerts. Ingz crew is a group of highly effective
members specialized in scenography ( lights, set and costumes), music, and video