The story

From Paris’s Le Louxor Cinema to Cartier’s Tutankhamun-inspired masterpieces, the global Art Deco movement was profoundly shaped by Ancient Egyptian aesthetics and early 20th-century Cairo modernism, and yet Egypt’s role has never been fully credited.

Egypt Art Deco is a landmark project that restores this missing chapter through a multi-phase project, shuttling between research, publishing, public interventions, talks, and an exhibition that will debut newly commissioned Art Deco works alongside rare archival photographs and architectural blueprints, revealing Egypt not as muse but as a defining force in the birth of Art Deco.

What if howard carter had not discovered king tutankhamun’s tomb and paraded its contents? what if ancient egyptian antiques did not make their way to europe? would the lotus still be part of a visual culture in brussels or new york?

What if ancient temple drawings of the winged sun did not make their way from egypt to england? Would the hoover building in london still have sunburst patterns?

What if ancient Egyptian Faience was not stolen and traded in paris and london? Would cartier still be making their iconic scarab brooches?

egypt art deco is an exercise in time travel