Talent Radar: Beya Khalifa

Talent Radar

Words: José Berrocoso

BEYA KHALIFA “My collages don’t take themselves too seriously. They look at the world with humour and a sense of wonder.”

Born and raised in Cairo, Egypt, Beya Khalifa weaves together different, and often absurd, worlds with the use of collage - digital and physical. Her collages serve as a visual examination of the human condition and its relation to the universe, often through quirky or satirical narratives. Her work exists in a perpetual state of surrealism and phantasmagoria, almost like a daydream come to life. Beya’s collages utilize antique photographs layered under digital graphics to combine kitsch, orientalism, fantasy and history into a seamless investigation of the absurdity of daily life.

Representing the jarring dichotomy some Arabs struggle with in terms of identity fragmentation, her recent work has diverged and is now split between Western and Arab aesthetics and issues. Think of each collage as a portal into a multitude of worlds: surreal, phantasmagorical, and in a bizarre sense, reflective of the world we are currently living in. In each collage, characters prod their way as giants or as lilliputian through space and earthly terrain, subverting traditional power dynamics between man and nature - and between man and man.

Some collages demonstrate the grand and the universal, while others more specifically try to reconcile the past with the present, as is the case with the ‘Orientalism’ series. In it, we see historic photographs of various Middle Eastern tribes and cultures collaged with ancient geometric patterns found throughout the Middle East, critically touching on themes of orientalism, identity and post-colonialism in surreal and whimsical settings.

Fatema AlOthman

HOW TO STAY SAFE DURING EXERCISE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Exercising regularly has wide-ranging physical, emotional and social health benefits. You need to exercise safely to remain healthy and injury-free. If it’s safe and painless, you’re more likely to stick to it! Safety is about using common sense, understanding basic techniques and listening to your body.

See your doctor for a check-up before embarking on a physical activity program. Your doctor, physiotherapist or your personal trainer can offer you tips about staying safe while exercising.

Here are some tips to stay safe and injury-free:

1.Be aware of your body. Think about how the particular exercise is making you feel. If something doesn’t feel right, stop immediately and seek medical advice.

2.Warm up and cool down. Try slow stretches and go through the motions of your sport or activity before starting. Cool down with slow stretching.

3.Mix it up. Try other sports and exercises to reduce the risk of overtraining.

4.Stay hydrated. You can lose around one and a half litres of fluid for every hour of exercise; so drink water before, during and after a session.

5.Do it right. Try to get the technique right from the beginning, to ensure you are using your muscles correctly.

Finally, you can add your nutrition system to get an integrated result, which can help you feel energetic during and after the workout.

Come and join me and the training team, let’s talk more about health & fitness.