For its second exhibition, Gypsum Gallery is thrilled to present a solo show of drawings and paintings by Cairo-based artist Doa Aly. The House of Sleep marks the artist’s return to painting, a medium she had studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Cairo. It is an intense new body of work inspired by a tragic love story by the Roman poet Ovid in his epic work The Metamorphoses.
As in many of her earlier video works, Aly’s engagement with mythology and turn-of-the-19th-century fiction is based on a close reading of tales of passion and longing. Ovid’s The House of Sleep is a central episode in the story of Alcyone and Ceyx, a moving tale of conjugal love and mourning.
A psychologically charged atmosphere characterizes her work. Aly’s paintings are fiercely expressive even though the brushwork is non-gestural. Her pencil drawings are sensual, graphic and exhibit a potent struggle between fragility, control and abandon.

The artist’s work has been presented by many institutions worldwide including Tate Modern, London, UK; The New Museum, New York, USA; International Center of Photography, New York, USA; Haus Der Kunst, Munich, Germany; Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien, Berlin, Germany; Argos, Brussels, Belgium; Arnolfini Museum, Bristol, UK; Centre d'Art Contemporain, Genève, Switzerland; Darat Al-Funun, Amman, Jordan; Beirut Art Center, Beirut, Lebanon; Contemporary Image Collective, Cairo, Egypt and Townhouse Gallery, Cairo, Egypt. She has participated in major biennials and triennials in the cities of Busan, Istanbul, Gwangju, Guangzhou and Dakar.