Kuwait : A Kuwaiti artist whose pictures of men were deemed "obscene" by authorities said she would keep on producing art that challenged perceptions of society in the state after her exhibition was shut down.

Officials sent by the government told the gallery showing Shurooq Ameen's work to close her It's a Man's World exhibition last month, three hours after it opened, the artist said.

The works were "indecent" and "obscene", a notice from the Commerce Ministry, seen by Reuters, said. Officials from the ministry — which issues licences for art galleries to operate — declined repeated requests to comment.

Controversial art

Ameen said officials focused on two of her 16 works — a painting of a woman in a mini-dress sitting on a man's lap entitled My Mistress and Family and a picture showing three men playing cards and drinking "grape juice" from a bottle, which suggested contraband alcohol.

An Interior Ministry spokesman also declined to comment.

"I am going to continue to paint and I am going to continue to push the envelope. If anything, this is making me more determined than ever and more stubborn than ever," Ameen told Reuters.

She has held nine solo exhibitions in Kuwait, including one called Society Girls in 2010 about the role of women in society, which she said sparked debate but was not banned.

Although Kuwaitis enjoy freedom of expression, the state can censor publications and films it deems morally offensive.

Ameen and other members of the artistic community said that this was the first time that they had heard of an exhibition being closed down.

The Al M Gallery declined to comment but a notice on its website showed the exhibition was "suspended."

Opposition Islamists made gains in a snap parliamentary election in February and liberal commentators have voiced concern that political change in Kuwait could lead to restrictions on freedom of expression and public life.

Proposal for legislation

A small group of hard-line Islamist parliamentarians said last month they wanted to propose a law banning flirtatious behaviour and "indecent attire" in public, which would include swimsuits on beaches, according to Kuwaiti media.

Most Kuwaitis dress modestly but there are no specific laws governing dress and women are not required to wear head coverings. Men and women can work together although universities are required by law to segregate the sexes.