Retired New York Architect exhibits at the Tennessee Art League
Nashville, TN – Loving art from an early age, Refaat Zakhary spent a great deal of his free time as a teenager drawing and painting. When the time came for college, it was clear to him that architectural school was the right choice. After obtaining his degree from the Cairo Faculty of Fine Art, he spent 15 years working with European firms that specialized in hotel design. In 1980 Refaat joined a prominent architectural and interior design firm in New York City where he rose to the position of partner. Now retired, he lives in Nashville spending his time doing what he loves to do most: creating art.
During the months of September and October, Zakhary’s detailed paintings can be viewed at the Tennessee Art League. Refaat says of his work, “The difference between flat canvas and true artwork are the shades and shadows; solids and voids; darks and lights; depths and shallows; lines and curves; black & white and colors; and all the values in between. But what makes someone fall in love with a piece of art – is when a particular piece touches something inside them. For me, it’s a memory, a color, nature’s beauty, man’s creation, movement, elegance… I’m inspired by it all. The world is my muse.”
Founded by a group of Middle Tennessee artists in 1954, and later chartered as a 501©(3) nonprofit educational institution, the Tennessee Art League (TAL) has enriched the lives of thousands of artists and the community as a cultural center, educational facility and art gallery for over fifty years. In 1965, the league started the annual Central South Art Exhibition (one of the oldest art competitions in the South). In 2005, TAL moved to its present home at 808 Broadway, in the heart of the historical and cultural corridor of Nashville. This new home provides more gallery, workshop, and classroom space, as well as a gallery store. Currently the TAL provides exhibition and meeting space to schools and community groups, as well as an exhibiting outlet for at-risk groups.
Meet the artist at TAL’s opening reception on September 4th, as part of Nashville’s art crawl. Hours are 6 to 9 pm. The Tennessee Art League is located at 808 Broadway, and is open Tuesday through Saturday.
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