5 Innovative Arab Women: Artists Pushing the Boundaries of Gender
By: Sarah Chaudhry/Arab America Contributing Writer Surrounded by a strong patriarchy, art in the Middle East mainly encompasses work through a certain lens. There is a dearth of female artists who are pursuing art within the Middle East. Many comment on the role of women through their respective experiences. The following five female Middle Eastern artists have made a name for themselves due to the nature of their work and the messages they send.
Shadi Ghadirian, Iran
Having grown up in Tehran, Iran, Shadi Ghadirian has lived the experiences she now photographs. Ghadirian focuses her photos on the role of the modern woman living in a dichotomous society entrenched in considerably archaic beliefs. Many of her photographs bring a humorous element to this reality of Iranian women, with many photos displaying women as mere household objects like brooms, pots, pans, etc., draped in veils. In other photos, Ghadirian shows women in traditional Iranian clothing, which date all the way back to the 18th century, using modern technology like phones and radios. Ghadirian’s work displays the confused female identity that lays both within Iran and universally when dealing with the evolution of the recent cultural landscape.
Lalla A. Essaydi, Morocco
Focused on the perception of women through a traditional lens, Lalla A. Essaydi communicates her view through paintings and photographs. Although Essaydi was born and raised in Morocco, she has a unique cross-cultural view on the different male-female dynamics due to living in a variety of places such as Saudi Arabia, France, and currently in the United States. In many of her works, Essaydi incorporates Arabic calligraphy (a male dominated art form), henna, and Orientalism to create pieces that reflect the essence of womanhood, especially in Muslim cultures. She analyzes the power women have in different societies relative to the space they reside in, and space plays a big role in her work. In order to sum up her art, Essaydi says, “In my art, I wish to present myself through multiple lenses — as artist, as Moroccan, as traditionalist, as Liberal, as Muslim. In short, I invite viewers to resist stereotypes.”
Manal Al Dowayan, Saudi Arabia
Mona Al Dowayan grew up in Ash- Sharqiyah, the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Al Dowayan focuses on contemporary art which can go from sculptures to photographs to different installations. The common thread between these different forms of art is the comment on the social construction and thought on women within the context of a more conservative society like in Ash- Sharqiyah. She has many installations dealing with the current, everyday struggles women in Saudi Arabia face, such as, not being allowed to travel alone. In response to this travel ban, Al Dowayan created an installation of 200 doves consisting of glass fiber suspended in the air, with each dove containing documents saying Saudi women should be allowed to travel on their own. Another installation she is known for is “Esmi, My Name,” where she gathered women to write their names on wooden beads. Al Dowayan then strung the beads together and hung them from the ceiling. This work comments on the social taboo in parts of Saudi Arabia, where men will not say a woman’s name out loud because they consider it “insulting.” Al Dowayan stresses that many cultural practices do not stem from religion, and that these practices are simply constructed based off the perceived notion that women have specific roles within society.
Mandana Moghaddam, Iran
Mandana Moghaddam went through trial and tribulation due to the Iranian Revolution of 1978. She fled Iran at the age of 21 after her father was executed due to the revolution, and she stayed in Turkey for around five years. She then was given asylum in Sweden, where she currently resides. Moghaddam’s works reflect her experiences as an Iranian woman and refugee through contemporary visual installations. Many of her works deal with the strength of women, one of which features a block of cement that is being held up by braided female hair. Hair is commonly used by Moghaddam to reflect the sensitivity, support, and strength women have for a more male-dominated society. The block of cement represents masculinity, so the hair is supporting the cement like how females support males in Iran. One of Moghaddam’s most notable work is considered to be the Chelgis series, which contains five parts. Each part has something different to say regarding hair and the symbolism of hair in her life. Hair equals beauty in many societies, and the covering of hair to preserve that beauty is common in Arab societies, and having grown up in Iran, Moghaddam has a lot to say!
Boushra Almutawakel, Yemen
Having studied in both the U.S. and Yemen, Boushra Almutawakel utilizes her experiences of being a Yemeni Muslim woman to create a conversation through photos about the perception of Arabs and Muslims within western society. She specifically focuses on the way Arab and Muslim women are represented through their clothing, and how the clothing alters how people view them. She looks into the history behind historical Muslim clothing, especially in Yemen, and examines the evolution of clothing and the symbolism it carries. When challenging the stereotypical views Western society sometimes has on Muslim women clothing, she says, “I want to be careful not to fuel the stereotypical, widespread negative images most commonly portrayed about the hijab/veil in the Western media. Especially the notion that most, or all women who wear the hijab/veil, are weak, oppressed, ignorant, and backwards”. Almutawakel has had her pieces shown to the United Nations, The British Council, The French Embassy, CARE International, and so many more international organizations.
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