Don’t Skirt The Issues
While fiber arts have existed for millennia, they have historically been ranked on an inferior scale than painting and sculpture, mainly for their association with femininity and domesticity. In that way, the dismissal of crafts to a frivolous feminine pursuit resulted in validating art with more masculine associations.
This was formalised when the Royal Academy established the delineation in the 17th century by banning needlework from the sphere of high art in Europe. With most recognized and documented art having been produced by men, the history of Western art as an academic institution essentially ignored the expression of women and with that, has omitted their story.
This series sews an actual skirt and adds it to the canvas. It identifies the women at the forefront of today’s issues.
It says: we all ultimately wear the same skirt, so let’s not ”Skirt The Issues”.
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My Skirt My Choice 100cmx70cm
🌘Take note of the nearly two billion Muslims on this planet who follow the rhythm of the moon to reflect on their faith.
🌗Try to consider that half of them are women, each with an individual mind for personal choices.
🌖Think of the fact that the world still thinks it’s okay that nations of « civilized » men respond to acts of unspeakable violence by legislating women’s bodies.
🌒Say that’s it’s not.
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Same Skirt Different Tribe 102cmx76cm
As a result of the pandemic, the recent wave of Asian hate crimes has exposed the worst of humanity. At a time when we should be looking out for each other, some - fueled by racist rhetoric- have engaged in “othering” people of Asian descent. Asian communities everywhere have suffered from unjust policies and racial abuse many times over. Their enduring grace and resilience are personified by this woman. It is high time we work together to stop the cycle of hate and prejudice.
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Don't Skirt 100cmx70cm
Despite Black Lives Matter initiatives in 2020 that shook awake a lot of people around the globe, many today remain hopelessly racist. Systemic racism is endemic in many countries around the world. Remember this: Justice is not seasonal. Real change does not happen without a lasting commitment. STAY informed. STAY active. Not just today, but every day. Let’s stop skirting important issues that don’t directly impact us.
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Hiding Inside My Skirt 61cmx61cm
How many of us avoid glancing in the mirror or going on the scale? Evade being in photos or looking at those we’re in? Go through the day feeling the need to hide the extra layers that lurk under every thought we have? How many start every day with an intention and end it with a failure?
Distorted views of our bodies cause too many of us to self destruct. I think it’s time to start honest conversations about body image and uncover the way that society measures a person’s value with
their weight. -
The Skyscraper's Skirt 91cmx46cm
Unlike English, Arabic is a gendered language. This means that it assigns to nouns grammatical gender attributes, like other widely spoken languages such as Spanish, French, Russian and Hindi. This gives the Arabic tongue an inherent eloquence teeming with vibrant imagery. Interestingly, “building” or “tower” in Arabic has multiple terms. Some are feminine, others masculine; and the speaker gets to choose how each structure will personify for them. This comes to mind every time I look up at Burj Khalifa, rising with grace and majesty towards the sparkling Dubai sun. While others might see a “Burj”, a solid spire defying gravity, I see a (ناطحة سحاب) - a dancer, twirling her ruffled skirt, one arm thrown towards the sky and the other reaching down to solid earth; moving to the welcoming rhythm of this magical city I’m honored to call home.
But why, might some wonder, isn’t your “female Burj” an Emirati woman, proudly cloaked in her national dress?
And why, would be my answer - while so many others are allowed to maintain an identity inside their minds - is the Emirati woman’s only defined by her clothing? There is more than one way to be proudly Emirati. Just look at our language.