Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre, Harrania, Egypt
In 1951, Wissa Wassef founded the Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre near the Giza Pyramids to teach young Egyptian villagers how to create art and tapestries. He believed that children are endowed with creative power and potential. Wissa Wassef attempted to prove that art is innate in everyone and can flourish in spite of the deadening influence of mass production The Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 1983.
The Art Centre has operated continuously for more than 60 years. No patterns are utilized as the artists create the tapestries directly from their imaginations onto the looms. Artists such as Ali Selim and Karima Ali, who began as children in the 1960s & 70s, continue to weave masterworks upto 10 feet in width. The Art Centre is open to the public with a museum of early works and the store to sell new works. Tours are available by contacting the Art Centre in advance.
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