Art galleries, a first date fave, the perfect meet-cute event and every ultra-cool Zamalek kid’s preferred hangout, have long held an undeserved reputation of being so unintelligible you can hardly comprehend the subject at hand - and to artists, the reputation of being an impenetrable field. These customary tides are exactly what Rana Khalil, founder and creator of The Art Gallery, is swimming against to foster an accessible, supportive artistic community for viewers and artists alike.

In an evolved approach to curation, Rana took to bringing a more cohesive, yet personalised, structure to the gallery’s exhibitions. “The only chance younger artists in the field get to appear in galleries is in all-over-the-place, cumulative exhibits where little attention is given to the actual curation of the exhibit,” Rana tells CairoScene. “We want to give young artists, as well as the more popular names, their right to exhibitions with a purpose, with a strong sense of concept and flow, even if that’s not the most profitable road.”

The opening exhibition, currently on show at the gallery, ‘Memory: Fish or Elephant’, features 24 artists employing various disciplines, mediums and styles. With briefs that actually make sense, interactive sketchbooks that share the process behind each piece, and a varied approach to the craft, The Art Gallery brings art back to what it started as: an organic means of human connection.

Combining a myriad of ends of the artistic spectrum, Rana had to devise a clever way to utilise the available space in a categorised manner. The answer? A vertical vacuum of art involving four flights of stairs (that somehow feel like a stroll in the park), where each artist is given a corner, allowing you to stand and immerse yourself in the creative genius of their work.

In giving artists such an equitable opportunity to shine, The Art Gallery extensively broadens the supply of beautiful, professional and diverse art - a venture art deco babes everywhere have been waiting for. From highly-regarded Fine Arts university professors to career-shifted artists to passionate Azhar students, The Art Gallery gives you a glimpse into the worlds of many.

Despite having just started out, the gallery is growing to encompass a much more holistic artistic space, with super diabolical plans including exchange residencies, global exhibitions (in collaboration with galleries in London, Dubai, Barcelona, the works), workshops, live art performances and artist collectives - for maximum interaction with the art.