The position and role of women in Arab society is a central theme in Shurooq Ameen’s work. The Kuwaiti-Syrian artist is known for fearlessly expressing her views on the oppression and exploitation of women and the hypocrisy that exists in Middle Eastern society. The response to her work ranges from severe criticism to warm appreciation. In 2011, her show in Kuwait was shut down by the authorities just hours after it opened. But a year later, she became the first Kuwaiti woman artist to be auctioned at Christie’s; and in 2013, the Kuwait chapter of the Arab Woman Awards chose her as the “Artist of the Year”. “The turnaround from the stigma of being a banned artist to winning this award is a validation that my work is making a difference and creating a shift in thinking in our society,” Ameen says.
In most of her work, the artist channels her own experiences of the challenges she faced in rebuilding her life as a single mother and career woman in a male-dominated society. But in her latest exhibition, “We’ll Build this City on Art and Love”, she has moved beyond individual concerns to address issues such as child marriage, neglect of mental health, and the socio-economic impact of corruption. “In recent times, we have seen only destruction all around us. The wars and conflicts and the constant media coverage of them has also destroyed our morale and hope. This body of work, whose title is derived from a 1980s’ rock and roll number, is a call to stop being pessimistic and to rebuild and reconstruct our cities, countries, families, societies and sociopolitical structures,” she says.
In a reference to the state of affairs today in our crazy, topsy-turvy world, the title of every artwork in this series is based on Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland”. And Ameen has used humour and satire to deal with serious sociopolitical issues. Her canvases depict grim scenarios, but they also include symbols of positivity and hope such as beautiful flowers, and children portrayed as winged angels.
In a dark painting titled “Pollutoland”, Ameen has painted an environment destroyed by various kinds of pollution. But she has also included some children planting flowers and angels magically creating birds and butterflies to transform the scene. And in “A Tangled Tale” the fairies and children are seen working hard to get a stalled construction project back on track. “Our environment has been badly damaged. And in our region so many beautiful ideas are not realised because of bureaucratic red tape and corruption. Through these whimsical paintings I want to say that it is still not too late to change the ugliness to something magical and beautiful,” she says. Other works such as “Education and Beyond”, “Pipe Dreams” and “Waiting for Dodo” also highlight the fact that many much hyped “dream” projects in the region have not yet materialised.
The artist comments on the appalling state of mental health institutions in the region in a work titled, “We are the Future: Picking Up the Pieces”. Once again, the children are trying to repair the damage while a masked, anonymous woman, representing the uncaring attitude of authorities, nonchalantly looks on. “Because someone I loved had to undergo treatment, I have a first-hand experience of how terrible the situation is. I believe that a nation can progress only if it understands and cares about the importance of the mental health of its people. It is crucial that the people in this region put emphasis on mental health rather than on outward appearance and physical beauty,” Ameen says.
The artist always covers the faces of the people in her paintings with masks or veils. But in this series she has often used a flower as a mask. “The mask is a reference to the double standards and hypocrisy in Arab society. People can be themselves only when their identities are hidden,” she says. Ameen deals with the impact of this aspect of her culture in several works. In “See the Beauty Here” she makes a plea for society to be more tolerant of the rebelliousness of youngsters and to try to understand the ideas and aspirations of a new generation; and in “Family Portrait” she challenges traditional concepts of a typical Arab family and the role of each member. A monumental work, “MARA7 = 7ARAM”, depicting many different people singing and dancing on a piano strongly expresses the artist’s view that being “different” or having fun is not wrong or bad.
The most striking works in this series are “Through the Looking Glass: Child Bride” and “This Way Up: Painting the Roses Red”. The first one highlights the horrific victimisation of young girls, especially from poverty-ridden and war-torn areas of the region. And the second conveys a powerful and positive message to Arab women regarding the way they should bring up their sons. “It is the responsibility of a mother to properly nurture the fragile minds of her children. She must open their eyes and show them the world. Arab women must not be afraid to raise liberal sons, who grow up to be men with open minds and contribute to building a tolerant, compassionate, equal and just society,” Ameen says.
Jyoti Kalsi is an arts enthusiast based in Dubai.
“We’ll Build this City on Art and Love” will run at Ayyam Gallery Dubai (DIFC) until October 30.
