Sherif Sonbol
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Sherif Sonbol (6 December 1956 – 24 December 2023) was an Egyptian photographer specialising in architecture, scenic
fine arts In European academic traditions, fine art (or, fine arts) is made primarily for aesthetics or creativity, creative expression, distinguishing it from popular art, decorative art or applied art, which also either serve some practical function ...
, and
photojournalism Photojournalism is journalism that uses images to tell a news story. It usually only refers to still images, but can also refer to video used in broadcast journalism. Photojournalism is distinguished from other close branches of photography (such ...
.


Early life

Sherif Sonbol was born in
Giza Giza (; sometimes spelled ''Gizah, Gizeh, Geeza, Jiza''; , , ' ) is the third-largest city in Egypt by area after Cairo and Alexandria; and fourth-largest city in Africa by population after Kinshasa, Lagos, and Cairo. It is the capital of ...
,
Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...
,
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
on 6 December 1956. Sonbol studied insurance at
Cairo University Cairo University () is Egypt's premier public university. Its main campus is in Giza, immediately across the Nile from Cairo. It was founded on 21 December 1908;"Brief history and development of Cairo University." Cairo University Faculty of En ...
and attended the Chartered Insurance Institute in London. He worked for the Egyptian Reinsurance Company as a marine
underwriter Underwriting (UW) services are provided by some large financial institutions, such as banks, insurance companies and investment houses, whereby they guarantee payment in case of damage or financial loss and accept the financial risk for liability ...
. Around 1988 Sonbol decided to pursue one of his passions -photography- and tried his luck at Al-Ahram, where he soon started working as a
freelancer ''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...
.Al-Ahram Weekly October 2003
, interview following a five-week exhibition of his work at the
Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5  ...
in New York.


Career

It only took a few months for him to become a full-time photographer at Al-Ahram under the auspices of Antoun Albert.Cultnat on Antoun Albert
, small profile featured in the book "Nubia through two Eras".
Although achieving professional goals and popularity at Al-Ahram, at a certain point Sonbol saw the need of leaving the newspaper in order to be recruited by the American Embassy's as official photographer. This position did not occur but still the American Embassy employed him in its computer department as
graphic designer A graphic designer is a practitioner who follows the discipline of graphic design, either within companies or organizations or independently. They are professionals in design and visual communication, with their primary focus on transforming ...
and computer trainer for newcomers,At that time (early-mid '80s) the use of
computers A computer is a machine that can be programmed to automatically carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations ('' computation''). Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as ''programs'', ...
and
word processors A word processor (WP) is a device or computer program that provides for input, editing, formatting, and output of text, often with some additional features. Early word processors were stand-alone devices dedicated to the function, but current word ...
was not as widespread as it is nowadays.
Sonbol managed to combine these roles with his work in the New Cairo Opera House, where he had been taking pictures since it opened its doors in 1988. Eventually Sonbol resigned his place at the American Embassy and returned to Al-Ahram; this time to the Al-Ahram Weekly. Sonbol stayed six years as main photographer of Kalam-El-Nass. In his last year there, the Maraya-El-Nass magazine projectAn unsuccessful advertisement strategy resulted in Maraya-El-Nass having to close its doors a few years later. saw the light. This was an interior design magazine belonging to the same group as Kalam-El-Nass. The project's key artistic responsibilities were to be writer Moguib Rushdi and himself, so he was fully transferred to the new magazine. Here too he managed to "shake the foundations of Egyptian interior photography with his use of natural light".Afaaf Abu Zaahr & Ghada Abu Zahr, editors of "Mirrors" and Kalam-El-Nass magazines Later in life, Sonbol managed to combine his responsibilities as chief photographer in Al-Ahram Weekly Besides his regular photojournalism assignments, he is in charge of the main photograph of the ''Pack of Cards'' section of the newspaper (usually providing the image or selecting other relevant photographs) and also occasionally contributing with articles."A Nubian Journey (Al-Ahram Weekly January–February 2010)"
Text and graphic contribution to Al-Ahram Weekly: an original article on a usually very secluded event.

subdivision of the "People" section of the newspaper. The subsection opens with a weekly image. When he didn't contribute the image himself, he was in charge of selecting the image. Due to Al-Ahram Weekly's website organisation, in order to see the latest Pack of Cards (or past issues) navigate from here to current/past issues.

Text and photos by Sherif Sonbol on his work in Morocco for Museum With no Frontiers.
and in the Cairo Opera House
Al-Ahram Weekly, October 1998
with other projects. As a freelancer, he occasionally contributed to other publications — including Kalam-El-Nass. He participated in photography campaigns and other job assignments too. He also collaborated with important cultural centers such as the
Bibliotheca Alexandrina The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (Latin, 'Library of Alexandria'; , ) (BA) is a major library and cultural center on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea in Alexandria, Egypt. It is a commemoration of the Library of Alexandria, once one of the larg ...
.Bibliotheca Alexandrina "Ecclesiastical Spirituality" exhibit
Al-Ahram Weekly review on his latest exhibit in Bibliotheca Alexandrina (December 2008)
His work has been displayed in various exhibits Currently his work is on display, for example, in th
Museum With No Frontiers exhibit "''Mamluk Art: The Splendor of the Sultans''"
/ref>2012 Exhibit in Poland: article fro
"Nisf el Dunia"
, in Arabic
2012 Exhibit in Poland: article fro
"Ahram Online"
in English
worldwide and has been the subject of a
doctoral A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...
thesis A thesis (: theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: D ...
Eszter Dobay, The Hungarian Moholy-Nagy Academy of Arts. Thesis title: “''On the portrayal of movement/action in photography''”Paula van Akkeren, Amsterdam. Thesis titles: “''What is the role of photography in Egypt''” and “''The relation between photography and art''” Sonbol gave seminars at AFCA (Académie Francophone Cairote des Arts) and taught photography at the Ahram Canadian University. Ahram Canadian University´s official website
since 2008.
Through one of his later freelance projects, Sonbol tried to bring Western and Arabic cultures closer together in order to promote a better understanding and communication.The project is moving slowly given the difficulty of finding proper sponsors.


Death

Sonbol died on 24 December 2023, at the age of 67.


Technique and style

* One of Sonbol's trademarks was his use of natural available light; a technique he developed under the encouragement of Antoun Albert.Egypt Today February 2006
article on the history of Photography in Egypt.
* An acute sense of timing is also characteristic of his images. This is especially evident in his ballet shots and The New York Times referred to it as "''a particularly agile eye''" adding that "''Even when Sonbol concentrates on stillness, he exemplifies
Martha Graham Martha Graham (May 11, 1894 – April 1, 1991) was an American modern dancer, teacher and choreographer, whose style, the Graham technique, reshaped the dance world and is still taught in academies worldwide. Graham danced and taught for over s ...
's
adage A proverb (from ) or an adage is a simple, traditional saying that expresses a perceived truth based on common sense or experience. Proverbs are often metaphorical and are an example of formulaic speech, formulaic language. A proverbial phrase ...
that a pause is not a pose but "an act of accomplishment"'' ".New York Times October 2003
review and interview on occasion of Lincoln Center Exhibit.
Sonbol developed his eye for dance under the supervision of Erminia Gambarelli Kamel, former prima ballerina and currently artistic director of the Cairo Opera House Ballet.


Critical reception

"Nothing is more beautiful than to express art through art…" -
Naguib Mahfouz Naguib Mahfouz Abdelaziz Ibrahim Ahmed Al-Basha (, ; 11 December 1911 – 30 August 2006) was an Egyptian writer who won the 1988 Nobel Prize in Literature. In awarding the prize, the Swedish Academy described him as a writer "who, through wo ...
,
Nobel Laureate The Nobel Prizes (, ) are awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Swedish Academy, the Karolinska Institutet, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee to individuals and organizations who make outstanding contributions in th ...
Alrai Alaa Newspaper
, Naguib Mahfouz on Sonbol's first exhibit at the Cairo Opera House, interview by Ashraf Sadek, (link in Arabic).
"Rare is the photographer who looks at a familiar art form and shows it in a new light. But Sherif Sonbol’s stunning and revelatory dance photographs howa particularly agile eye… apt to shoot from a catwalk above the stage or from the wings, frequently abstracting shapes into dynamic and explosive bursts of color." - Anna Kisselgoff,
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
"An artist has reached the pinnacle of his profession when his work can be recognised without his signature being written…" -Mounir Kenaan, leading Egyptian
painter Painting is a Visual arts, visual art, which is characterized by the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called "matrix" or "Support (art), support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with ...
Featured in Sonbol's catalogues, this special message was originally delivered by Mounir Kenaan's wife, author Sanaa El-Beissy.In 2001, Mounir Kenaan wrote: “''A real artist is when you can recognize his work, without seeing his signature. Sonbol’s photos are like that. When I see a photo taken by Sherif Sonbol, I know immediately it’s his, without seeing his name. He surpassed the impossible. Sonbol, whose endless passion and near-obsession for learning, it is no wonder that he is now the “master’ of all photography masters in ballet –''
Al Masry Al Youm English edition article "The Camera Dancer"
/ref>


Books

* ''Opera 1988–1993'', (Cairo Opera House 1993) * ''Aida'', (Cairo Opera House 1999)
, article on "Aida" show at the Giza Pyramids. Sonbol's book was based on this unique production.
* ''Pharaohs of the Sun: Akhenaten : Nefertiti : Tutankhamen'', (Bullfinch & Boston Museum for Fine Arts 1999, & ) ''Contributor''. * ''Swan Lake for Children'', (Cairo Opera House, 2000) * ''Mulid! Carnivals of Faith'', (AUC, 2001, & ) * ''Mamluk Art: The Splendor and Magic of the Sultans'' (Museum with No Frontiers & Transatlantic, 2001, & ) * ''The Pharaohs'', (Bompiani Arte & Thames and Hudson, 2002, ) ''Main contributor''. * ''Der Turmbau Zu Babel – Ursprung und Vielfalt von Sprache und Schrift'' (Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien & Skira, 2003, & ) ''Contributor''. * ''40 Pyramids of Egypt and their neighbors'', (Cyperus, 2005, ) * ''40 Pyramids of Egypt and their neighbors'', Arabic version (Al Hayaa Al Masriya Al-Aama Lel Ketab, 2005, ) * ''Egyptian Palaces and Villas'', (Abrams Inc & AUC, 2006, & ) * ''The Churches of Egypt: From the Journey of the Holy Family to the Present Day'', (AUC, 2007, & ). Second edition, AUC, 2012 * ''Arts of the City Victorious'' (Yale University, 2008, & ) ''Main contributor''. * ''Christianity and Monasticism in Wadi al-Natrun: Essays from the 2002 International Symposium of the Saint Mark Foundation and the Saint Shenouda the Archimandrite Coptic Society'', Edited by Maged S.A. Mikhail & Mark Moussa, (AUC, 2009, ) ''Cover image''. * ''Opera 1988–2008'' (Cairo Opera House, 2009)
, Review on Sonbol's book "''Cairo Opera House 1988–2008''".
* ''Al-Tahra Palace, A Gem in a Majestic Garden'' (CULTNAT / Bibliotheca Alexandrina, 2009, ) * ''The Nile Cruise, an Illustrated Journey'' (AUC, 2010, & ) * ''Wonders of the Horus Temple: The Sound and Light of Edfu'' (AUC, 2011, & ). Introduction by
Zahi Hawass Zahi Abass Hawass (; born May 28, 1947) is an Egyptians, Egyptian archaeology, archaeologist, Egyptology, Egyptologist, and former Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Egypt), Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, a position he held twice. He has ...
* ''The History and Religious Heritage of Old Cairo: Its Fortress, Churches, Synagogue, and Mosque '' (AUC, 2013, & )


References


External links


Sherif Sonbol website

Al Ahram Weekly

Ahram Online

Cairo Opera House
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sonbol, Sherif 1956 births 2023 deaths Photographers from Cairo Architectural photographers Egyptian photojournalists People from Giza Egyptian contemporary artists Cairo University alumni 20th-century Egyptian photographers 21st-century Egyptian photographers