>> I WAS BORN IN EGYPT WHICH IS A SUBURB OF CAIRO.

IN 1951 OR 2 PRESIDENT NASSER TOOK OVER THE COUNTRY AND AT THAT TIME ESPECIALLY AROUND 1956 THE SUEZ WAR AND SO AT THAT TIME THE JEWS WERE ASKED TO LEAVE.

[ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] >> A BRITISH EXPEDITIONARY FORCES AS THEY ARRIVE FOR AN ASSAULT LANDING.

THE CITY HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY BOMBED FOR DAYS BEFORE THE AMPHIBIOUS OPERATION.

OIL GOES UP IN FLAMES IN THE HARBOR LITTERED WITH VESSELS.

>> WE HAD BOMBS COMING DOWN.

I WAS SLEEPING IN MY PARENTS' BED, THE WHOLE FAMILY WAS IN THERE JUST BECAUSE WE COULD HEAR ALL OF THE BOMBS GOING OFF AND THAT'S WHEN MY DAD DECIDED, THAT'S IT, AND HE APPLIED FOR A VISA, AND SO WE WENT TO PARIS FOR ONE YEAR WAITING FOR OUR TURN TO COME INTO THE UNITED STATES.

AND IN 1959 I WAS 11 YEARS OLD, WE ARRIVED IN NEW YORK AND TOOK A TRAIN RIDE TO COLUMBUS.

WE WERE SPONSORED BY HIAS, THE HEBREW IMMIGRATION AID SOCIETY WHICH HELPS A LOT OF PEOPLE, NOT JUST JEWS, BUT ANYBODY THAT WANTS TO GO TO ANOTHER COUNTRY BECAUSE THEY'RE BEING ABUSED, THEY'LL PAY THEIR WAY AND THEN YOU HAVE TO PAY THEM BACK AND I REMEMBER MY DAD EVERY MONTH WE'D PUT THAT CHECK IN UNTIL HE PAID IT ALL OFF, AND AGAIN, WE JUST LUCKED OUT SO MUCH THAT WE GOT TO COME TO THE UNITED STATES.

I LOVE THIS COUNTRY.

AS A CHILD, IT TOOK A YEAR OR SO TO GET ACCUSTOMED TO IT.

THEY PUT ME BACK A GRADE BECAUSE OF MY LANGUAGE, BUT I CAUGHT UP PRETTY NICELY, AND MY PARENT, GOD BLESS THEM, THEY'RE BOTH GONE, BUT THEY REALLY WANTED US TO SPEAK ENGLISH AT HOME.

IF YOU SPEAK ENGLISH AT HOME WE'RE GOING TO LEARN ENGLISH, AS WELL, AND IT WASN'T KEEPING THE OLD COUNTRY IN.

IT WAS WELCOMING THE NEW COUNTRY.

[ MUSIC ] >> I LOVED PAINTING AS A CHILD.

I WOULD ALWAYS DOODLE AND MY RELATIVES, OH, YOU'RE GOOD AT THIS, YOU SHOULD KEEP GOING AND IN HIGH SCHOOL I DID IT.

I WENT TO COLLEGE FOR ONE, TWO SEMESTERS IN FINE ARTS, BUT THEN MY DAD SAID HOW ABOUT SWITCHING TO SOMETHING THAT MAKES MONEY WHICH I SHOULD HAVE NEVER DONE.

AND I WENT TO MECHANICAL DRAWING AND I LEFT AFTER THAT BECAUSE I WASN'T DOING SO WELL.

>> BUT I DIDN'T REALLY DO ANY ART UNTIL I LEARNED ABOUT 40, 41.

I TOOK A CLASS WITH A LOCAL ARTIST HERE IN TOWN, LINDSAY STAFF AND SHE REALLY WAS SO SUPPORTIVE AND SHE SAID YOU'VE GOT TO KEEP GOING, YOU'VE GOT TO KEEP GOING, YOU'VE GOT TALENT AND FROM THAT I WAS ABLE TO CREATE CAREER IN THE ART, AS WELL IN SALES AND BUSINESS.

>> YOU BETTER LOVE COLOR.

IT'S MY THING.

I LOVE COLOR.

I STARTED OUT WITH WATER COLORS ORIGINALLY WHEN I TURNED 40 AFTER I TOOK THAT CLASS, AND IT WAS A WATER COLOR CLASS WITH LINDSAY, AND THE COLORS FOR ME WEREN'T STRIKING ENOUGH, SO I SWITCHED TO ACRYLIC AND THE WAY I STARTED I REALLY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE PIECE IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE AT THE END.

I KIND OF START WITH COLORS AND SHAPES.

AND IF YOU NOTICE MY ART, IT'S ALL ABOUT FACES AND MY FACE, AS PRIMITIVE AS THEY ARE SOMETIMES THEY DO EXUDE A FEELING, A MOOD, AND A LOT OF TIMES MY CHECKERS WILL SAY I SEE SOMETHING DIFFERENT EVERY TIME, EVERY TIME I LOOK AT IT AND TO ME IT'S ABOUT THE MOOD CHANGE EVERY DAY.

WE ALL CAN GET UP IN A CERTAIN MOOD AND THAT PAINTING CAN STRIKE YOU A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.

I LOVE MY FACES BECAUSE I GET LOST IN THEM AND THE MOOD I'M IN WHEN I'M DOING IT.

AS THE PAINTING COMES TOGETHER, A LOT OF TODAY'S TOPICS COME OUT IN IT, THAT WHOLE THING ABOUT IMMIGRANTS AND HOW WE GET HERE, HOW WE STRIVE HERE AND HOW OUR COUNTRY IS REALLY-- IT'S SO GREAT BECAUSE OF THE IMMIGRANTS AND NOW WHEN I SEE PEOPLE WANTING TO KEEP THEM OUT I'M THINKING, THAT'S CRAZY.

SO THAT DOES COME OUT IN THE PAINTINGS A LOT.

THE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, AGAINST OTHER PEOPLE.

I'LL DO SOME PAINTINGS THAT WAY THAT WILL COME OUT.

I DID A SHOW ON THE HOMELESS ONE TIME.

THOSE TOPICS SOMEHOW COME OUT IN THE PAINTINGS.

I TRAVEL A LOT SO THOSE INSPIRATIONS COME OUT WHEN I WALK AROUND THE STREETS OF BRAZIL, MEXICO, EUROPE, YOU COME BACK AND YOU CAN'T WAIT TO START PAINTING AGAIN AND THOSE TRAVELS COME OUT IN THE PAINTING SO TO ME IT'S ABOUT EVERYDAY LIFE THAT SHOWS UP.

A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO MY SON SAID, DAD, YOU SHOULD TRY DIGITAL ART AND HE GOT ME STARTED WITH A COUPLE OF THE APPS AND WHAT HAPPENED IS OVER TIME I BECAME PRETTY GOOD AT FIGURING OUT WHAT BRUSHES, WHAT COLORS AND SO IT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT I COULD BE WATCHING TV WITH ONE EYE AND DRAWING ON THE OTHER-- WITH THE OTHER, AND SO OVER TIME IT REALLY BECAME THE WAY THAT I COULD CREATE-- >> HERE'S ONE, WALKING BY THE PYRAMIDS WITH MY BACKGROUND, SO IT DOES COME OUT.

THERE'S A PARKING-- I MEAN, A COIN FOR THE PARKING IN THE MIDDLE OF IT.

THIS CAME OUT, TOO.

LET MY PEOPLE GO, IN A SENSE.

YOU KNOW, THAT WAS ALSO THE THEME.

IT'S FUNNY HOW IT JUST COMES OUT.

IT'S NOT LIKE I REALLY PLAN IT, BUT LISTEN, IF IT'S GOING TO COME OUT IT'S GOING TO COME OUT.

I LOVE THE WAY THIS PIECE IS ABOUT FAMILY AND EVEN GRANDMA COOKING WITH LOVE AND THE FOOD THAT SHE MAKES.

I JUST GET LOST IN IT.

[ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] >> I WANT MY PAINTINGS TO NOT JUST BE NICE TO LOOK AT, BUT I WANT THEM TO PENETRATE IN THAT SOUL BECAUSE IT COMES FROM MY SOUL, IN A SENSE.

YOU KNOW, WHEN SOMEBODY LOOKS AT A PAINTING I WANT THEM TO AT LEAST TAKE A FEW MINUTES AND LOOK AT IT AND SEE WHAT I'M TRYING TO PORTRAY IN THERE.

[ MUSIC ]