Van Gogh is Innocent brings to light Shaalan's poignant experience in prison following his presumed involvement in the 2010 theft of Poppy Flowers (1887), a multi-million dollar painting by Post-Impressionist Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh that was on display at the Mohamed Mahmoud Khalil Museum in Cairo and that is yet to be found. For the first time in a commercial space, the family of Shaalan has accepted to display the works he produced during his painful and controversial time in jail, which coincided with the 2011 Egyptian uprising.
True to his words: "Art gives you the freedom to use symbols that no one can take away from you", Shaalan used expressionism combined with symbols and folkloric myths to ultimately create a surrealist experience. Through oil paint, ink and pencils, he unleashed his pains and suffering, to simultaneously document the mundane details of the days he spent behind bars – his new studio, and to claim his innocence.
