One could be forgiven for thinking Cairo is a city awash with donkeys. They seem ever docile and albeit they stubborn by repute, they seem to come into their own in the teeming, narrow lanes and streets of Egypt. Unlike cars, they have their own eyes, and drive themselves as it were, merely guided to where their masters want them to go. They avoid the hazards of the crowds and even seem to exude a soothing effect on their surroundings. Economical, manoeuvrable, resigned and indeed lovable they add a quality, a charm to the ostensible urban mayhem that prevails in this ancient land. 

     With a history stretching back millennia, having been invaded countless times, one sees how Günther Komnick’s images somehow manage to evoke much more than just the surface appearance. Komnick has the uncanny and, no doubt, unspoken talent of drawing out moments of happiness, joy, intellectual engagement, bonhomie and an overriding sense of belonging in his subjects. It is as if the people he photographs have a rapport with him; there’s an implicit trust between the photographer and his subjects, young and old, men and women, comfortable and at home in their environment. 

     The images are in effect visual poetry, as Komnick captures the spontaneity of everyday life, with the subjects plying their wares, engaging in board games, transporting their goods, such as cotton (for which Egypt is renowned), tomatoes, pomegranates, bananas, beans and onions, or waiting for customers. You can hear the sounds of the streets through the images and you can feel the mood and vibrancy prevalent in every image. People interact unthreatened as Komnick evokes the relationships between individuals and the bonds that lubricate and enhance their lives amid the apparent chaos. Through this chaos one detects an order and a harmony, well served by time and deeply rooted traditions. The Streets of Egypt, a joy to behold.

Dr Wilhelm Snyman, Auckland, New Zealand