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The Reflection of Gender Identity in the Works of Three Contemporary Female Artists of the Islamic World

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 . Corresponding Author, Assistant Professor, Department of Painting and Sculpture School of Visual Arts, College of Fine Arts, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

2 . Faculty of Fine Arts, College of Visual Arts, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

10.22059/jwica.2023.348429.1906

Abstract

Gender identity is a major cognitive characteristic of humans, particularly in the modern era and beyond. It is a means by which the boundary between the self and the other is discernible, and the domain of defining and delimiting the essential nature of the individual is established. The analysis and study of the reflection of this issue in the works of contemporary artists, particularly Muslim women artists, is a significant concern. The present research, which is based on the works of three contemporary women artists in the Islamic world—Mona Hatoum (Palestinian artist, born 1952), Lalla Essaydi (Moroccan artist, born 1956), and Boushra Almutawakel (Yemeni artist, born 1969)—examines the factors that have influenced the reflection of gender identity in the works of these three artists and the manner in which each artist has reflected it in their work. The data was collected through library documents, and the research method was descriptive-analytical in the current study. The information collected has been analyzed using the inductive approach, and the analysis method has been qualitative. The results suggest that the primary focus of the research is the issue of women's gender identity, the condition of religious extremism, as well as the linguistic implications and ethnic identities. The concerns of gender identity in these artists are manifested in the fluidity of identity and the display of creative and transformed relationships between women, sometimes in comparison to men and sometimes independently. These factors have been incorporated into their works through photography, video, and the use of the written element.

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Journal of Woman in Culture and Arts
Volume 17, Issue 2
July 2025
Pages 171-194
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