Korasov's lawyer insists that the case is not political and related to the graphic designer

The case of the «painting of the College of Girls» ignites between a Russian artist and Ghada Wali in Egypt

  • One of the paintings is disputed. Archival

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Renewed ignition of the battle between the Russian artist Grigory Korasov, and the Egyptian graphic designer Ghada Wali, where the former accused the latter of stealing his works, and Wali responded to the accusation by saying that «Korasov seeks to top (trend), and to market his work in Egypt», and the battle attracted thousands of Egyptians on social media, and the battle took a political dimension because Wali provided these works to the French company supervising the Egyptian metro, and because of the insistence of Wali's lawyer that «the attack on them has political dimensions», while the Metro Authority By removing the drawings and apologizing last year, after the crisis of mutual accusations erupted for the first time, Wali finally expressed her disappointment to "apologize and remove" before returning to it, while the whole case tended to be resolved in the judiciary.

The Russian Kurasov said in the program «Yahduth fi Masr» broadcast on the satellite «MBC Egypt», that he «learned through messages from Egyptians that the pictures of his drawings, located on metro stations in Cairo - the third line, attributed by Ghada Wali to herself, and that she entered his paintings on the computer and put some additional elements, and that this does not mean her right to attribute the works to herself».

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Kurasov continued that "he did not communicate with Wali and she did not do the same, and that the best scenario for settling the crisis between them is that the problem is resolved by the court."

Kurasov's latest accusations came as a renewal of a previous accusation in July 2022 that "Wali stole four paintings from his drawings", which she sold to the metro company that placed them on its stations, after which the metro administration removed the paintings and apologized following the crisis, and this also coincided with the dismissal of the head of the metro at the time, Essam Wali, as media outlets, including the Sada al-Balad website, linked the two events.

For her part, Wali said in an interview on «MBC» also, «the painting of the Girls' College station in the subway, which she designed, and Kurasov claims that it is taken from him, inspired by pharaonic art, specifically from the Temple of Habu in Luxor, that Korasov seeks to market his works in Egypt, and that the two works of her design and Korasov's painting of pharaonic art».

Allegations

"Kurasov claims that its source is Roman art, but the painting is pharaonic from the drawings of the Temple of Habu in Luxor, especially (with the laying on of the hand), and from the plastic school of the painter Pablo Picasso. The two works are of her own design, and Korasov's painting is asymmetrical to her design."

Adaptations

Wally, who was chosen by Forbes magazine earlier as one of the best graphic designers in the world, stressed that "the works of Kwarsov are difficult not to be adapted from the ancient Egyptian civilization," and denied that she received 120 million pounds for her work that she provided to the metro network, as reported, stressing that she "received only 77,36 pounds for <> paintings she provided to the company," and that "the company terminated the contract between them after the outbreak of the crisis."

Wali reappeared to speak in the same crisis, and went out on a live broadcast on her page on «Facebook», and said that this is the second time that she is exposed to accusations from Kurasov, and did not respond the first time, because she was in trouble because of childbirth, and that she was subjected to cyberbullying that affected her psyche because of the subject and what happened, such as for her a nightmare, and that since obtaining a master's degree from Italy she is interested in reviving the ancient Egyptian heritage.

negation

Wali denied linking them with the names of officials and leaders bearing the name of «Wali», and said «I am not close to any governor, neither Youssef Wali (Minister of Agriculture and leader of the National Party in the era of Hosni Mubarak) nor Essam Wali (former head of the Tunnels Authority, who was dismissed after the outbreak of the first crisis), I am from a simple house; my father is an engineer and my mother is a doctor, I have not lived in Egypt most of my life and I do not know anyone here».

On a parallel level, the crisis caused the outbreak of a debate between critics, plastic artists and journalists about the criteria for «theft and quotation», and the former head of the plastic arts sector at the Ministry of Culture, Khaled Sorour, told the site «Sky News Arabia», that «what happened is considered a theft of art full pillars, where there is a transfer approaching congruence, and there is similarity in the lines to the extent of copying», in response to considering the sounds of the incident «a kind of quotation» according to media statements.

On the other hand, the lawyers of Wali and Korasov came out in a televised debate on the program «Hazrat Al-Muharram» to defend their clients, each on his own.

Adel Abdel Hamid, Wali's lawyer, said: "My client did not quote anything from the Russian artist, and the metro murals were not stolen, there is a conspiracy against my client for many reasons, we did not steal and will not steal and we do not need to steal, how can a country in which two-thirds of the world's antiquities steal a painting, hinting that there are political backgrounds behind accusing his client of theft."

On the other hand, Ahmed al-Attar, Kurasov's lawyer, refused to enter the case to the previous track, saying that "the case is directed against Wali, and does not have any political background."

Waly, who was previously named one of the best graphic designers in the world by Forbes magazine, stressed that "Kurasov's work is hard not to be adapted from the ancient Egyptian civilization."

Kurasov stressed that he did not communicate with Wali and she did not do the same, and that the best scenario to settle the crisis between them is that the problem is resolved by the court.