Upon first glance, Mays Al Moossawi’s drawings playfully distort the female form. Manipulated female bodies dominate the images, thick, thin, wide, long, red, green, their gaze away from the frame as if something has caught their eye. She exists in an LSD infused world, winding her body into itself. All she wears is a drip of jewelry and bright nail polish. She is an expression of the artist’s emotions and her desire to provide voice for the Omani women of her childhood.
In today’s crazy society it is hard to keep a check of our emotions, to go inside of ourselves. For Mays, a great fear of judgement leads to a lack of engagement with how we feel. This could be read as being particularly relevant in Oman, wherein a cultural stigma regarding mental health issues means that a great amount of sufferers do not seek or have access to treatment. Furthermore, there are more available resources in built up areas. A belief in a harmonious group and mindset has less regard for individual experience unlike western societies that place greater value on selfhood. Mays is calling this into question suggesting that freedom of expression can alleviate our burdens.
The colours of the figures also evoke an emotional response in the audience. A blue woman gazing into a mirror feels like she has a differing self-conception to one that is pink. The range of colours of Mays’ different works represent the spectrum of the emotions of the woman. Decorative tiles in the background evoke the domestic space of the household, raising further questions about her status in society and her association with this space.
Her representations of women also reflect her understanding of them. Mirrors feature heavily in Mays’ work, raising questions of the self, identity and womanhood. How are they able to express themselves? In placing lone, nude figures in the image, the artist creates a space where reflection can be enacted. Regulations in Oman regarding women’s rights are varied, and still need time to align with feminist goals of equality. On one hand, Omani law discriminates against them, for example remarriage in Oman results in a loss of custody of children and a men can apply for divorce without reason. Things are changing though, women hold positions in government and many more girls have entered education. Mays draws on this contentious position, whilst raising questions about the woman within the domestic setting too.
The next country will be….North Korea
Photo credits to Emergeast
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