El Set—the woman—constituted the most important part of the works of Egyptian artists, starting with the famous statue of Mokhtar as well as other works that have exceeded hundreds of great artists’. Few have dedicated themselves and their work to her audience. The audience had a great influence on my work. These women (El Hawwanem) followed all her recitals and rocked to the sound of her magical music and voice. The hawanem loved her, and she loved them.

The hawanem with refined taste who sipped afternoon tea and Groppi cakes or a very fresh coffee followed by a cigarette while listening to her words, music, and voice El Set was not only content to have a beautiful voice; she was a cultural phenomenon, an icon, and the voice of Egypt.

That’s why I try to capture on my canvas this image: the liveliness of this audience that we continue to see on the screen of the television in black and white, all beautiful despite the blur of the digital image.

Mustafa Rahma

About the Artist

Mostafa Rahma was Born in 1952, He is an Egyptian painter living and working in Cairo. He was very much influenced by the iconic singer, Om Kalthoum, not just as an artist but mainly as a powerful woman. In his ‘Hawanem’ series, Rahma portrays these women very affectionately. Showing their boundless love of life, their strength, and classiness as he lovingly exposes their particular daily habits & lives (cigarettes, drinks, laughter, parties). Rahma has participated in countless group and solo exhibitions, both in Egypt and abroad.