It is all hopelessly backward and chaotic here, the swiftly executed, brightly coloured water colours seem to say, but it is no less cherished for being so. The story line of Bahgory's development, seldom beset by discontinuity despite the apparent diversity of his achievement, can be traced clearly from one exhibition to the other. It is also a typical instance of the broader story of Egyptian painting during the period in which Bahgory has been working. These artists later works, however, have been more experimental, and less conditioned by the social reality surrounding them. The most important thing is the Egyptian street, Bahgory insists.
Titles are unimportant.
They are just names, like the names we have. Sometimes there is a story behind the painting, but it shouldn't have much to do with the painting itself. Slowly, casually, he continues to go about his business, still refusing to initiate me into the secrets of his trade, while I withdraw once again into the background, thinking of all the stories I've been told.