Russian Artist Accuses Egyptian Graphic Designer Ghada Wali of Stealing His Works: Understanding Art Theft and Quotation

Plastic artists, in their interview with “Sky News Arabia”, specify the limits that if the artist crossed in transferring from the works of others, he would have been accused of theft, with the application of examples of the crisis in dispute between Grigory Korasov and Ghada Wali.

The sequence of events of the dispute

• In July 2022, the Russian artist accused the graphic designer of stealing 4 paintings from his works, and using them with minor changes to design murals at the Kulliyat al-Banat metro station in Cairo.
• The metro administration removed the mural and apologized to the Russian artist.
• A lawyer for the Russian artist has filed lawsuits against Wally, which are pending in court.
• In May 2023, the Russian artist again accused the graphic designer of taking from his work and using it without his permission in an advertising campaign for a soft drink.
• After a year of silence, Wali commented on the Russian artist’s accusations, and said in televised statements that “the metro mural was inspired by drawings in an ancient Egyptian cemetery.”
• Adel Abdel Hamid, Wali’s lawyer, also commented on the painter’s accusation against her, saying that it was “an arbitrary fabrication aimed at demolishing his client, who received honors inside and outside Egypt.”

Business comparison

Former head of the plastic arts sector, professor of decorative design, Khaled Sorour, considers what happened “full-fledged artistic theft.”

In his interview with “Sky News Arabia”, he inferred this by comparing the artistic works of Wali and the Russian artist, saying:

• “There is a clear transfer of Wali from Korasov’s work, bordering on congruence.”
• “As far as the lines and directions in the artwork are concerned, there is a similarity to the copy stroke.”
• “Wali took an artistic solution, preceded by the Russian artist.”

The Egyptian plastic artist and designer Hussein Noah agrees with him, who tells Sky News Arabia:

• “Wali’s artwork (cut and paste), as it conveyed the Russian artist’s work style and the same lines he uses.”
• “The graphic designer used the same method of expression as the Russian artist, and this is evident in the way of designing and drawing the eyes.”

What is the difference between quote and plagiarism?

“Quoting works of others is not permitted in creative work, but there are limits that, if exceeded, turn into theft,” according to Egyptian academic Medhat Nafie, who explained to “Sky News Arabia” how to differentiate between the two, with reference to:

• “The size of the addition made by the new artistic or scientific work, compared to its counterpart quoted from it.”
• Scientific honesty in clarifying the source of the quotation and the source of the original scientific or artistic inspiration.

Did the Russian artist borrow or steal from the Egyptian civilization?

It is noteworthy that some of the Russian artist’s works revolve around ancient Egyptian art, and here a question arises as to whether he borrowed or stole from these works?

The former head of the plastic arts sector answers, “The artist resorts to heritage, nature, and scientific and artistic theories to obtain his ideas and inspiration.”

He added, “If the source and attribution of the original (i.e. the old work) are clarified, then here is an permissible quote, especially when he puts his own wording on the work, as the Russian artist did.”

Punishment for art theft

There are heavy penalties awaiting the artist if he is convicted of plagiarizing the works of others, about which Noah says:

• “If the court condemns the graphic designer, she will pay large financial compensation.”
• “The contracting companies will terminate their contracts, and all projects in which they work with local and international companies will be withdrawn.”
• “Ghada Wali has already been convicted and punished, as happened with the removal of her works from the College of Girls metro station in Cairo.”