1971 x Sekka | The Woman Series

- Thursday 24 March, 2022 09:00PM

VENUE

1971-Design Space, Flag Island

8 – 24 March 2022

The event celebrates Arab Women through a collaborative exhibition between Sekka Magazine and 1971 – Design Space. It showcases the work of 3 regional creatives: Budoor Al Reyami, Hessa Al Suwaidi and Maha Al Asaker. The works reflect on Arab womanhood, identity and culture. The series explores how each artist perceives cultural traditions in different contexts and how each portrays these reflections within the works presented. The launch of the exhibition coincides with International Women’s Day and is held within the ongoing exhibition happening at 1971 – Design Space, “The Path.”

The Women Series is a group exhibition brought together in a collaboration between Sekka and “1971-Design Space”. The exhibition showcases the works of three artists from the Gulf region: Budoor Al Reyami from Oman, Maha Al Asaker from Kuwait, and Hessa Al Suwaidi from the United Arab Emirates. The works exhibited reflect on Arab womanhood, identity and culture, while exploring how each artist perceives cultural traditions in different contexts and how each portrays these reflections through their work.

The exhibition coincides with the launch of the Womanhood Issue by Sekka, a London-based independent magazine and integrated creative platform that is devoted to exploring and celebrating arts, culture, opinions and literature from the Arab world, with a focus on the Arab Gulf States. Sekka’s Womanhood Issue features some leading women from various sectors, including art, film, media and literature, who explore what it means to be an Arab woman today.

Visitors can walk through and in between the works of the artists which are laid out in three sections. The first section will feature the Omani artist Budoor Al Riyami’s stills from her film, titled The Will. The film and stills depicts the artist writing and erasing a will on her young son using an eye Kohl to project changing desires with age.

 “In this work, I write my own will with eye kohl on the soft skin of my little son. I might live longer to change my will as I have always done throughout the years. I write my will to define my relation to my son after my death.” explains the artist who will also be representing her country in Venice Biennale later this year.

The next section features Maha Al Asaker, a Kuwaiti visual artist whose pieces centre on women, culture and identity. Her embroidery-based photography series, A Trap Called the Body, will explore a variety of patriarchal proverbs that many men and women express throughout the Arab world that limit women. Through the series, Al Asaker will investigate the meaning of being a woman.

The concluding section showcases the works of Emirati artist Hessa Al Suwaidi. Titled Kshati ( “my wild hair” in Arabic), which is composed of tapestry and an embroidered cloak, forms an exploration of the artist’s personal journey from a young girl to womanhood. “My big poofy hair is a big part of me, my personality and my identity. The curls that I choose to show complete me and are an integral part of me, in a mental and physical manner”, explains the artist.

Fatima Al Mahmoud, head of “1971-Design Space” stated that “In celebration of International Women’s Day, we were pleased at 1971-Design Space to have collaborated with Sekka in hosting an exhibition that holds a purposeful message focusing on important issues related to women with shedding the light on Arab women, their experience and identity…”

“We are pleased to have worked with the wonderful team at 1971-Design Space to put this exhibition together. At Sekka, our mission is to introduce the incredible talents of the region to international audiences, and as we celebrate women this month, we are proud to be sharing the works of these three exceptionally talented artists from the Gulf with local and international visitors”, says Sharifah Alhinai, Sekka’s co-founder and managing storyteller.

The Women Series will be available for viewing until 30^th of March 2022, between 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

To find out more about the exhibition and for directions, visit www.1971design.ae.

-END-

About Sekka

Established in 2017 by Emirati sisters Manar and Sharifah Alhinai, Sekka is an international independent magazine and integrated creative platform that is devoted to exploring and celebrating arts, culture, opinions and literature from the Arab World, with a focus on the Arab Gulf States, narrated by a change makers and bold voices. Magazine issues of Sekka are available for purchase through an international network of global distributors, and can also be placed on their website. For more information visit www.sekkamag.com.

About “1971-Design Space”

“1971-Design Space”, the creative initiative under Sharjah Investment and Development Authority “Shurooq”, is a multi-functional design space dedicated to the display and discussion of all forms of contemporary design ranging from graphic, furniture to interior, interactive design and new technologies. With a variety of curated exhibitions and public programmes, 1971-Design Space aims to become a regional and international design hub in the UAE, working in close proximity with local designers, architects, schools and universities.  1971-Design Space also serves as an informal meeting point and includes a fully serviced cafe for the enjoyment of the public.