With the rising numbers of refugees, and the recent controversial policies that have been put in place to regulate immigration by certain western nations, migration has been a subject of broad and current interest to many—especially Arabs who are directly affected.
Aside from the current political climate, the act of migrating on its own has long been a source of inspiration for many artists who through their art, work towards navigating their multicultural—and sometimes conflicting—identities.
In exploring the work of such artists, the Arab Women Artists Now (AWAN) Festival is hosting an exhibition titled Perpetual Movement featuring the work of seven emerging female artists hailing from Egypt, Kuwait, Syria, Yemen, and the UAE.
The exhibition addresses the topic of migration and the many facets of identity that it effects, particularly for Arab women. Among the artists is Yumna Al-Arashi, a Yemeni-American photographer whose work explores femininity, identity, and placement. Nada ElKalaawy, a London-based Egyptian is also on the roster, whose paintings confront the concepts of diaspora, feminism, islamophobia, and the male gaze.
Curated by British-Lebanese-Armenian writer Lizzy Vartanian Collier, the work of videographer and photographer Araz Farra, Egyptian painter Nadia Gohar, visual artist Shaikha Fahad Al Ketbi, and Kuwaiti conceptual photographer Najd AlTaher will also be on display.
Perpetual Movement 1 March – 25 March at Rich Mix, London, E1 6LA
