Salt is one of the most basic ingredients of any cuisine. Ask any expert chef and they will tell you how important salt is to a food preparation. The humble ingredient may seem commonplace, but the quantity of salt in a dish can make or break the preparation. But who knew it could be a source of inspiration for artists too? Hany Genedy, an Egyptian artist has created unique paintings by using white salt on plain black surfaces.

The 24-year-old Egyptian artist is originally from the Nile Delta province of Sharqia. The Egyptian artist has put together assorted colours of salt at his home studio to create these interesting and unique creations. Genedy said that he experimented with materials such as leaves and even money before coming to salt. He prefers using salt for his artistic creations since he feels it is versatile and cheap.

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From legendary actor Al Pacino to football sensation Mohammad Salah, these salt paintings are truly remarkable. Some of them even feature local celebrities in Egypt or the monuments and landmarks of the country. The mode of painting is unique as only a scattered few artists use salt in their creations. A lot of patience, focus and persistence is required to finish these salt paintings. But Genedy says he has a secret of preserving his works for longer than others.

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“At first it took me four or five hours to make a picture with salt then I had to erase it, but later I had the idea of looking for a way to preserve these works. After several attempts I was able to find a way to fix the pictures,” Genedy said, adding some of his salt works have been hanging on the wall for more than three years.

The Egyptian artist hopes to gain more recognition in Egypt and Internationally in the future.