CINEMA, Self-portrait, Florence 2006

Provenance: acquired from the artist by the current owner, 2017. Private Collection.

Youssef Nabil’s practice is rooted in photography, drawing on the visual language of classic Egyptian cinema and early studio portraiture. Known for his distinctive hand-colouring technique applied to black-and-white photographs, his work evokes nostalgia, memory, and displacement, often reflecting on identity and the experience of exile.

In CINEMA, Self-portrait, Florence 2006 (2006), the artist presents himself against the glowing backdrop of a cinema façade, merging personal identity with the mythology of film. The soft colouring and staged composition create a dreamlike atmosphere, blurring the line between reality and cinematic fiction. Through this self-portrait, Nabil reflects on the role of cinema as both a cultural touchstone and a space of projection, where identity is performed, remembered, and reimagined.