• Ibrahim Said: Shaping Time

    October 22, 2026 - January 9, 2027
  • Yossi Milo is pleased to present Shaping Time, Ibrahim Said's second solo presentation with the gallery.
     
    Shaping Time coincides with the conclusion of Said's participation as one of the three inaugural artists in The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Vacheron Constantin Artisan Residency. Centered on the preservation and reinterpretation of traditional craft, this 18-month residency granted Said sustained access to The Met's collection. This period of research and close engagement with the museum's holdings informed much of the development of this new body of work.
     
    Across sculpture, ceramic forms, and intricately constructed surfaces, Ibrahim Said (b. 1976; Cairo, Egypt) considers time not as a fixed progression from past to future, but as a layered condition in which histories and imagined futures continually overlap. In Shaping Time, Said draws from different conceptions of temporality, moving between linear time, and the more expansive structures of sacred, spiritual, and cosmic time.
    Yossi Milo is pleased to present Shaping Time, Ibrahim Said's second solo presentation with the gallery. Shaping Time coincides with...

    For sales inquiries, please contact:  

    info@yossimilo.com
  • References to ancient Egyptian and Islamic art appear throughout the exhibition, connecting systems of image-making developed across centuries with forms...
    Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976)
    Delta Vase, 2025
    White Earthenware
    24" x 13" x 13" (61 x 33 x 33 cm)
    Unique
    (ISa.25870)
    Inquire

    References to ancient Egyptian and Islamic art appear throughout the exhibition, connecting systems of image-making developed across centuries with forms that can appear distinctly contemporary, and, at times, futuristic. Representations of time and the afterlife provide one framework through which the works are realized. In ancient Egyptian art, scale could communicate hierarchy and significance, while images and symbols connected earthly existence to a much larger conception of life beyond death. Said reconsiders these ideals through shifts in scale and the organization of forms, using composition to suggest relationships that are spatial as well as symbolic.

     

    Islamic geometry offers another foundation for Said’s approach to repetition, continuity, and infinity. Geometric structures, mirrored forms, latticework, hexagons, the six-pointed form of the Star of David, and the Coptic cross embedded with eight-and-four-pointed star forms appear as references through which images are joined, folded, and multiplied. Moving between religious and visual traditions, these structures allow Said to consider how symbols persist while acquiring new meaning. Their repetition suggests forms extending beyond the physical boundaries of the objects themselves, connecting the finite experience of the individual to ideas of continuity and belief. Rather than collapsing their distinctions, Said looks toward what he understands as a common humanity within religious experience.
     
    This engagement with history is inseparable from Said’s process of making. His work moves beyond conventional ideas of beauty towards an investment in skill, precision, and the pursuit of perfection within these forms. Sculptural plates and elaborately constructed surfaces foreground the labor involved in their production, while pattern, scale, and structure become records of duration in themselves, evidence of time embedded through the process of making.
     
    Across Shaping Time ancient forms are neither treated as relics, nor positioned in opposition to the future. Instead, Said brings different periods and visual languages into the same object, proposing a continuum in which histories remain active, and multiple systems of belief and experiences can coexist. His works look backward and forward simultaneously, treating time as material, and suggesting that shaping an object is also a way of shaping our relationship to time.
  • 'When we talk about Egypt, we speak of the craft tradition that goes back 7,000 years' - Ibrahim Said

    "When we talk about Egypt, we speak of the craft tradition that goes back 7,000 years" - Ibrahim Said

  • Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976) Blood Moon, 2026 White Earthenware 31” x 22” x 22” (79 x 56 x 56...
    Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976)
    Blood Moon, 2026
    White Earthenware
    31” x 22” x 22” (79 x 56 x 56 cm)
    Unique
    (ISa.26071)
    Inquire
  • Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976) Twin Filter Vase 3, 2026 White Earthenware 21 3/4' x 8 1/4' x 8 1/4'...
    Ibrahim Said
    (Egyptian, b. 1976)
    Twin Filter Vase 3, 2026
    White Earthenware
    21 3/4" x 8 1/4" x 8 1/4" (55 x 21 x 21 cm)
    Unique
    (ISa.26057)
     
    Inquire
  • Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976) New Year’s Stack 3, 2025 White Earthenware 31' x 21 1/4' x 17' (79 x...
    Ibrahim Said

    (Egyptian, b. 1976)

    New Year’s Stack 3, 2025
    White Earthenware
    31" x 21 1/4" x 17" (79 x 54 x 43 cm)
    Unique
    (ISa.25873)
    Inquire
  • Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976) Arrowhead Vase, 2025 White Earthenware 20 1/4' x 6 1/2' x 6 1/2' (51 x...
    Ibrahim Said

    (Egyptian, b. 1976)

    Arrowhead Vase, 2025
    White Earthenware
    20 1/4" x 6 1/2" x 6 1/2" (51 x 17 x 17 cm)
    Unique
    (ISa.25491)
    Inquire
  • Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976) Floating Vase - Chevron, 2025 White Earthenware 24' x 7 1/2' x 7 1/2' (61...
    Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976)
    Floating Vase - Chevron, 2025
    White Earthenware
    24" x 7 1/2" x 7 1/2" (61 x 19 x 19 cm)
    Unique
    (ISa.25496)
    Inquire
  • Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976) Petal Minaret, 2026 White Earthenware 65” x 14 1/2' 14 1/2' (165 x 37 x...
    Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976)
    Petal Minaret, 2026
    White Earthenware
    65” x 14 1/2" 14 1/2" (165 x 37 x 37 cm)
    Unique
    (ISa.26069)
    Inquire
  • Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976) Diamond Minaret, 2026 White Earthenware 54 3/4' x 14” x 14” (139 x 36 x...
    Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976)
    Diamond Minaret, 2026
    White Earthenware
    54 3/4" x 14” x 14” (139 x 36 x 36 cm)
    Unique
    (ISa.26070)
    Inquire
  • Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976) Minaret - Eight Star, 2026 White Earthenware 68' x 15' x 15' (173 x 38...
    Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976)
    Minaret - Eight Star, 2026
    White Earthenware
    68" x 15" x 15" (173 x 38 x 38 cm)
    Unique
    (ISa.25925)
    Inquire
  • Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976) Minaret - Weave, 2026 White Earthenware 59 1/2' x 16' x 16' (151 x 41...
    Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976)
    Minaret - Weave, 2026
    White Earthenware
    59 1/2" x 16" x 16" (151 x 41 x 41 cm)
    Unique
    (ISa.25926)
    Inquire
  • Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976) Papyrus Minaret, 2026 White Earthenware 64 1/2' x 20' x 20' (164 x 51 x...
    Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976)
    Papyrus Minaret, 2026
    White Earthenware
    64 1/2" x 20" x 20" (164 x 51 x 51 cm)
    Unique
    (ISa.26068)
    Inquire
  • (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
  • Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976) Floating Vase - Gold Twist, 2026 White Earthenware 16' x 7 1/4' x 7 1/4'...
    Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976)
    Floating Vase - Gold Twist, 2026
    White Earthenware
    16" x 7 1/4" x 7 1/4" (41 x 18 x 18 cm)
    Unique
    (ISa.26060)
    Inquire
  • Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976) Floating Vase - Delta 3, 2026 White Earthenware 23' x 6 3/4' x 6 3/4'...
    Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976)
    Floating Vase - Delta 3, 2026
    White Earthenware
    23" x 6 3/4" x 6 3/4" (58 x 17 x 17 cm)
    Unique
    (ISa.26056)
    Inquire
  • Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976) Shaping Time II, 2026 White Earthenware 39' x 32” x 32” (99 x 81 x...
    Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976)
    Shaping Time II, 2026
    White Earthenware
    39" x 32” x 32” (99 x 81 x 81 cm)
    Unique
    (ISa.25924)
    Inquire
  • Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976) Flamenco Vase, 2025 White Earthenware 16 1/4' x 9 1/2' x 9 1/2' (41 x...
    Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976)
    Flamenco Vase, 2025
    White Earthenware
    16 1/4" x 9 1/2" x 9 1/2" (41 x 24 x 24 cm)
    Unique
    (ISa.25489)
    Inquire
  • (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
  • Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976) Shaping Time II, 2026 White Earthenware 39' x 32” x 32” (99 x 81 x...
    Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976)
    Shaping Time II, 2026
    White Earthenware
    39" x 32” x 32” (99 x 81 x 81 cm)
    Unique
    (ISa.25924)
     
    Inquire
  • Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976) Twin Filter Vase 2, 2025 White Earthenware 19' x 8 1/2' x 8 1/2' (48...
    Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976)
    Twin Filter Vase 2, 2025
    White Earthenware
    19" x 8 1/2" x 8 1/2" (48 x 22 x 22 cm)
    Unique
    (ISa.25494)
     
    Inquire
  • Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976) Floating Vase - Delta 2, 2026 White Earthenware 20 3/4' x 8 1/2' x 8...

    Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976)

    Floating Vase - Delta 2, 2026

    White Earthenware

    20 3/4" x 8 1/2" x 8 1/2" (53 x 22 x 22 cm)

    Unique

    (ISa.26055)

     

    Inquire
  • Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976) Lance Leaf Vase, 2025 White Earthenware 18 1/4' x 8 1/4' x 8 1/4' (46...
    Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976)
    Lance Leaf Vase, 2025
    White Earthenware
    18 1/4" x 8 1/4" x 8 1/4" (46 x 21 x 21 cm)
    Unique
    (ISa.25492)
    Inquire
  • Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976) Feather Vase, 2025 White Earthenware 23' x 7 1/2' (58 x 19 cm) Unique (ISa.25493)
    Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976)
    Feather Vase, 2025
    White Earthenware
    23" x 7 1/2" (58 x 19 cm)
    Unique
    (ISa.25493)
     
    Inquire
  • Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976) Lily Pad Vase, 2025 White Earthenware 16 1/4' x 9' x 9' (41 x 23...
    Ibrahim Said (Egyptian, b. 1976)
    Lily Pad Vase, 2025
    White Earthenware
    16 1/4" x 9" x 9" (41 x 23 x 23 cm)
    Unique
    (ISa.25488)
     
    Inquire
  • © Dhanraj Emanuel (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    © Dhanraj Emanuel (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    © Dhanraj Emanuel (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    © Dhanraj Emanuel (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).

    © Dhanraj Emanuel

  • About the Artist

    Courtesy of Cultured Magazine.

    About the Artist

    Ibrahim Said (b. 1976; Cairo, Egypt) creates ceramic vessels that take on gravity-defying shapes, with top-heavy bodies supported by sinuous legs and tentacles coiled into mobius strips. Cascading down their sides are intricate geometric patterns that mimic the interlacing designs of Islamic art and architecture. Each piece is made complete with a fine glaze, often in a burnished black that recalls the black-topped pottery of the ancient Egyptian Naqada period (4000 – 3000 BCE). Such historic references are hardly a coincidence: at the core of the Egyptian-American artist’s practice is a deep love and knowledge of his home country’s ceramic traditions. With his rigorous practice, Said celebrates his heritage while advancing quintessentially Egyptian motifs and forms towards new horizons.
     
    Born into a family of potters and raised in Al Fustat, an area of Cairo famous for commercial pottery, Said’s interest in the medium emerged at six years old, when he began accompanying his father to his pottery studio. The artist’s work is influenced by the visual landscape of his childhood; walking to the studio every day, he passed buildings inlaid with relief carvings on doors and walls, which he now integrates into his vessels. The patterns are derived from jug filters characteristic to ceramicware from Egypt’s Fatimid Dynastic era (900 CE). Traditionally, these designs are painstakingly carved into interlaced shapes, animals, and flowers, these filters separate river sediment and particles out of the water, which then flows newly filtrated into the container. From the outside, the jugs appear to be completely unadorned and plain, as the filters reside inside the jugs’ necks. Only the drinker can peer into its neck and see the carved patterns. Said is intrigued by this concept of inward, private beauty, yet in his own work, he transposes it outward for all to see.

     

    Works by Ibrahim Said are held in the permanent collections of major public institutions, including the Bait al-Baranda Museum, Muscat, Oman; Colby College Museum of Art, Waterville, ME; Des Moines Art Center, Des Moines, IA; Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Kalamazoo, MI; The Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC; Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany; Museum of Modern Egyptian Art, Cairo, Egypt; National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland; Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA; and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England. In 2024, Said’s work Hourglass was acquired by the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY. In 2025, Reflection was acquired by the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C., and Karnak 1 was acquired by the North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, NC. The artist received the 2024 Maxwell/Hanrahan Award in Craft and, in 2025, was selected as one of three artisans for a new 18-month residency program at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in collaboration with Vacheron Constantin. Said has mounted solo and group exhibitions at the Cary Arts Center, Cary, NC; Claymakers Gallery, Durham, NC; New Bedford Art Museum, New Bedford, MA; Saudi Arabia Museum of Contemporary Art, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Bardo National Museum, Tunis, Tunisia; Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY; and the American Academy of Arts and Letters, New York, NY; among others. The artist lives and works between North Carolina and Cairo, Egypt.

     
     

  • Related Content