Osama Ehab is a visual artist born in Cairo in 2002. He currently lives and works in Cairo, where he is studying Art Education. Osama expresses himself through various experimental techniques, including drawing, painting, and monoprinting, on a variety of materials.
In his series of works, the artist draws a compelling parallel between mechanical systems and the human psyche, examining the ways in which both can be subjected to cycles of dependency and exploitation. Through his visual language, he explores how the mechanics of repair—whether applied to machines or minds—can be manipulated to sustain a state of perpetual inadequacy.
At the heart of this exploration lies the artist’s personal relationship with motorcycle engines, which, despite constant repairs, repeatedly fail him. This endless cycle of breakdown and restoration becomes a metaphor for human psychological struggles—the way we encounter emotional or mental instability and are drawn into systems that promise relief but often prolong suffering. By juxtaposing mechanics and psychiatry, the artist critiques the manner in which both industries can capitalize on dependence: mechanics by perpetuating the need for constant replacements, and psychiatrists—based on the artist’s personal experiences—by extending treatment for financial gain.
The works themselves convey this tension through a combination of technical illustrations and expressive, almost chaotic overlays. The first piece features a dismantled engine with Arabic text, “اضرب كمان” (“Hit again”) and “عايز أتوب” (“I want to repent”), reinforcing themes of frustration, struggle, and the cyclical nature of repair and failure. The second composition introduces human figures interacting with machinery, suggesting a more intimate entanglement between people and the systems they rely on. The third piece merges the mechanical and the organic, blurring the boundaries between human frailty and mechanical wear.
Through these visual investigations, the artist challenges us to reflect on our own vulnerabilities—how we navigate failure, how we seek restoration, and ultimately, how the systems we trust may not always serve our best interests. His work questions whether true healing and repair are ever achieved, or if they are merely illusions designed to keep us in a perpetual state of seeking.
The works are exhibited at Gallery of Contemporary Art (Open daily from 11 AM to 8 PM except Fridays.) 15, Mahmoud Bassiouny St. Downtown, Cairo, Egypt Tel: (+20) 225784494
