Motaz is a visual artist, filmmaker, and culture manager based in Los Angeles with a desire to explore the power of art and culture in changing people's lives, cities, and communities. His keen interest in arts led him to Co-found '6 Bab Sharq' Art Space to support emerging artists in Alexandria, promote unknown talents, and thus create a unique platform for young artists in Egypt.
As an artist, Sobhy’s work has been widely exhibited in group exhibitions across Egypt. His long-term photography project ”Scars Of The Past“ was published in Brownbook magazine in UAE, and his short film "Dark Red" was screened at MegaCities-Short Docs Film Festival. Recently, he is working on a new photography project and developing a long-term experimental documentary film.
As a culture manager, Sobhy played a vital role in developing a leading community of young artists in Alexandria, Egypt as well as, engaged in various cultural exchange programmes, collaborations, and workshops with leading organizations locally and internationally like the French Institute, Goethe institute, MitOst, and IFA Germany to respond to social challenges affecting local and regional art and culture scene.
I began my career in the film industry as a co-director of the documentary film "Dark Red" in 2016. Since 2019, I have worked as an assistant film producer, coordinating various aspects of production, including organizing shoots, collaborating with directors, managing editing schedules, and arranging finances. I also worked as an assistant film editor on the documentary "Lift Like a Girl" (2020).
My professional journey in art management started in 2019 through a long-term program by the Goethe-Institut Alexandria. This experience equipped me with skills in planning, developing, and implementing art and culture initiatives. Upon completing the program, I was selected by the Goethe-Institut’s director to become one of the program officers at "6 Bab Sharq," a cultural and art space affiliated with the Goethe-Institut Alexandria.
In 2020 and 2021, “6 Bab Sharq” was fully funded by the German Foreign Office to support artistic freedom and decentralization for emerging artists in Egypt. We provided opportunities for networking, exhibitions, workshops, and capacity-building trainings, focusing on cinema, visual arts, and literature. In early 2022, I transitioned “6 Bab Sharq” into an independent LLC, dedicated to nurturing the artistic and cultural landscape of Alexandria and fostering connections with the broader Egyptian art scene.
Additionally, in 2021, I participated in the TANDEM 360 program, a year-long cultural exchange initiative that encourages multidisciplinary project development for societal change through art and culture. During this program, I gained insights into building long-term collaborative projects through intensive workshops and mentorship sessions. As part of the program's practical phase, I received a grant to develop and produce a music residency in Jordan and Egypt