My La Bodega! By Martin Brown, Mosaic Artist

I was so excited to be contacted by La Bodega to create the mosaics for their new sister bar Aperitivo. The brief itself was so precise and intriguing: “Reflect the spirit of Cairo's Golden Age and capture the zeitgeist of Paris on the Nile epoch.”

Aperitivo's famous mosaics in 'the making', by Martin Brown

Throughout the process, we went through a number of different versions from rough sketches to more detailed drawings. Finally, we reached the finished concept, based on vintage cocktail posters and advertising from this historical era.

The material I use is principally colored glass, cut by hand from large sheets into a variety of shapes. Squares, triangles, through to large flower shapes...I can put together pretty much anything, using our modern canvas of large jigsaw-shaped pieces of marine plywood. With the shaped glass, I have created small home pieces such as tables and mirrors through to much larger projects for hotels and restaurants. This is a centuries-old craft, but I love the fact that we can play with it, adapting it in a different way to create something contemporary.

Using the mosaic medium gives a sense of vitality to the bar, and lets people enjoy a taste of the movement and spirit of this particular era. We intentionally used varying sizes for each piece of the mural, using everything from larger chunks to miniscule fragments. Look closely, and you can feel the richness in the details.

Martin Brown, Mosaic Artist

Altogether, the two wall pieces took about six weeks to create. They were then all boxed up and set to fly with me to Egypt, that mythical land that I had first visited back in 1984. For three days, the mosaics were “lost in space,” causing us all to worry like crazy. Finally, they arrived; the boxes completely destroyed but thankfully the work survived and suffered no damage.

The construction of Aperitivo was delayed when the pieces arrived, and it gave me the opportunity to visit and discover Cairo and Egypt anew. I explored the vibrant city and the richness of its Pharaonic past, as well as enjoyed a spell-binding cruise on the Nile. The warmth and kindness of the people really touched me the most though, and it something that I will remember for the rest of my life.

Now that I have seen the mosaics in their full display and beauty, I can say that with its stunning combination of art pieces, great lighting and interiors, Aperitivo is a must-see venue for Cairenes and visitors to Egypt alike. I can't wait to come back to Cairo to enjoy an evening at Aperitivo and hope that it will come sooner rather than later!

Martin Brown

Mosaic Artist

Check it out: www.martinbrownart.com

His beautiful May collection of mosaic-themed furniture: http://www.martinbrownart.com/Martin_Brown_Art/may_2010_collection.html