ikan3 and Karim Francis Gallery join forces to create new ‘concept’ gallery
“Inviting is the first word that comes to mind as you walk into the Karim Francis Gallery. The apartment in Zamalek’s famous Baheler’s Mansion feels more like a home than a commercial venue. The rich, colorful fabric pillows are strewn on the couches, and I can’t resist sinking into them as I settle down to view the gallery.
Handcrafted teak furniture, original textiles, and accessories dominate the space – all in the signature style of Jawhara Nafa’s Bali Belly collection. The white washed walls showcase art from the Karim Francis gallery – including pieces by Omar El Fayoumi, Adel El Siwi, and Hisham El Zeiny. Together they have created Cairo’s first “concept gallery.
“We have gathered together everything you need to inspire and create a wonderful style for your home environment, Nafa explains. The unique feature of the gallery is that it all falls under one roof: a one-stop shop for your home.
The idea kicked off last year when Nafa incorporated a few of Karim Francis Gallery’s collection into her temporary showroom in Garden City. Following that success, she decided to do the opposite, and set up a permanent collection at the gallery in Zamalek. The end result: ikan3.
The idea is simple. The gallery reflects a genuine hominess so that it doesn’t take a leap of imagination for visitors to see how the furniture, accessories, or art will appear in their own homes.
“The idea is to have the art closer to people. This kind of surrounding is more adapted to your home, it gives some warmth, says Francis about the art his gallery has contributed.
He goes on to explain that these days he has been trying to promote the concept that you can mix styles; super modern, with ethnic, with classic, and so on. The fusion of styles is very apparent in this exhibition with both the artwork and the furniture.
Nafa agrees. “I don’t believe that only one style works, she said.
To explain her design philosophy, she uses a simple analogy: Dressing in Chanel from head to toe is a “disaster, you need to mix it up. The same applies to dressing up your home. “It depends on how you fit the pieces into your home.
Nafa has garnered a reputation for introducing Balinese furniture to Egypt. Though she certainly doesn’t have a monopoly in that segment, she’s definitely carved out a unique spot. Unlike the factory pieces that have flooded the local market recently, Nafa’s collection is very distinct. They say a picture is worth a thousand words; the same goes for Nafa’s furniture.
Nafa points to a square coffee table in one corner. She discovered an unusual piece of Brazilian wood – the small waves in the dark wood resemble a sandy beach at low tide – that she inlaid in a coffee table in order to retain its originality.
A lounge chair in another corner turns out to be an Indonesian birthing chair, which explains why there’s only one armrest – for the laboring mother to grab on to for support one assumes – to allow the midwife access to her patient.
The reception is dominated by a large teak coffee table – formerly a traditional Indonesian weaving table. To satisfy my curiosity, Nafa sits on the table in the Lotus position to demonstrate.
A large gourd-like object towers over the dining room set. Nafa explains that it was carved from the trunk of one tree, intact as one single piece.
In another room of the gallery an old door has been converted into a long coffee table. The work is typical of Islamic architecture in Madura, Indonesia, Nafa points out.
Ten years after first traveling to Bali, Nafa has ventured further into Asia traveling to Pakistan, India and Vietnam. The result is a diverse collection that melds together different Asian flavors. At the entrance stands a black 1920s card table from Indonesia; lacquer ware from Vietnam; and the various textiles add splashes of color throughout the rooms from India and Pakistan.
Of course, there’s a price tag to consider. The larger pieces of Asian teak furniture aren’t inexpensive. But, Nafa is quick to point out there’s something for every budget. The baskets, for instance, are quite affordable, and very reasonable considering other vendors in the market.
“They can come here and spend LE 20 or LE 60, Nafa noted. Of course, if you have your eye on one of the larger pieces of furniture, you’re bound to spend a bit more.
A quick way to revamp your summer home, which is easy on the pocket, is to pick up a few of the large cushions with colorful floral designs. The Rajistani and North Indian textiles are so versatile they will instantly liven up any outdoor seating, or you can toss a throw on a couch or even your bed. Some of the cushions are fashioned from old saris that Nafa patched together at a village co-op in Rajistan. Some throws and floor cushions are beautiful examples of Indian and Indonesian silk ikat, the special pattern of sewing creating an intricate design on the fabric.
To complete the collection, ikan3 can landscape your outdoor areas as well as your interiors. The gallery showcases several water features, sheets of pebbles, and lighting accessories. If you’re patient you can place an order for Indonesian flooring, the most unusual and striking is the pale green lava stone, which retains heat.
For those who don’t have an innate talent for interior decoration, ikan3 is a combination of aspiration and inspiration. It’s like flipping through a 3D interiors magazine, but with the option of actually taking home anything that catches your fancy.
ikan3At Karim Francis Gallery157, 26th of July St., 3rd floor, apt 8Zamalek, CairoTel: (02) 2736 2183Open daily from 12-10pm (except Fridays)
