An exhibition of real Muslim women
An exhibition that aims to dispel misconceptions about the lives and art of Muslim women has opened in London, bringing together the work of 30 contemporary female artists from the Arab world. Kerry McQueeney reports
It is a stereotype as damaging as it is outdated: the Muslim woman, living a life of suffering, oppression, inequality and exploitation, devoid of freedom of speech and independent thinking.
This is an image presented time and time again, particularly in the western media which has been slow to challenge ideas about women in the Middle East.
A major art exhibition however, aims to change perceptions by offering a window into the lives of women in the region, authored by themselves.
I AM showcases the work of 31 female artists from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Yemen, Bahrain, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, Iraq, Morocco, the UAE and the Palestinian terroritories. It is a celebration of dynamic women contributing to the fabric of local and global culture.
Maitha Demithan, from Dubai, is the only Emirati artist featured. Her work combines several mediums including photography, painting and drawing.
Of her artwork she says: “This piece depicts motherhood; a mother as a hero. It shows a mother with her children close to her, holding them. In her hands are the tools of an artist, because these are the elements without which she cannot feel complete these define her ‘job’.
“The role of motherhood [is] a constant challenge to balance time and energy.”
Billed as an East-West peace-building exhibition, in its bid to break down barriers and people’s misconceptions, I AM is organised by international arts NGO, Caravan. Its patron is one of the most influential women in the Middle East – Jordan’s Queen Rania Al Abdullah, who says: “I am amazed by the misconceptions about Muslim women and the Arab world that I hear, and that really hurts me.
“I hope that as this exhibition opens in cities worldwide, and people look through this window into our lives, they see what I see – what I’ve always known: that the people of the Middle East are as warm and welcoming as they are generous and open-minded.”
I AM premiered in Amman, Jordan, in May and opened in London, at the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square, earlier this month. The opening address was made by Vanessa Branson, founder of Marrakech Biennale, which aims to build bridges between cultures through art.
The sister of the British businessman, Richard Branson, she says although she was hesitant to speak about gender and religion, she believes there are defining characteristics to women’s art that are emphasised by female artists from the Islamic world.
“There’s a different sensibility in art made by women, an underlying emotional empathy, a certain vulnerability,” says Branson.
She goes on to note that in the Mena region, “the tradition of women bearing the weight of all domestic drudgery has resulted in many great works of art using everyday household objects to express the suffering caused by the inequality of their burden”.
Referencing the work of Iranian artist Shadi Ghadirian – whose witty photographs of women in traditional dress show irons or cheese graters exchanged for the grill of the chador – Branson says the nature of being an artist is someone prepared to take risks.
Through her work with the Marrakech Biennale, Branson has come into contact with some of the most exciting female artists in the region. She has worked with Maha Malluh, Yto Barrada, Bouchra Khalili and the late photographer Leila Alaoui, who was killed in a terrorist attack in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in January last year, at the age of 33.
“Working in the art world alongside these extraordinary women has been a continuous exploration and adventure,” Branson says. “It has also been immensely rewarding to witness how the creative movement in North Africa and the Middle East is changing the identity of the region.
“We can’t deny there is a tension between the darker forces, those who wish to destroy this growing cultural identity, and the enlightened majority who understand the role culture plays in driving innovation and hope.
“Artists, with their vision and courage, are going to drive us towards an exciting, thought-provoking and, inshallah, a more harmonious world.”
Sir Derek Plumbly, chairman of the London-based Arab British Centre, described the growing arts scene in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf as “extraordinary”.
At the London opening he said: “What is special about this exhibition ... is that the artists do not just happen to be women but that they are training their gaze on themselves. In doing so they illustrate ... just how far removed from the stereotypes women in the Middle East are, and how creative and diverse they are.”
The people of the Middle East are as warm and welcoming as they are generous and open-minded