Calligraphy and Manifestation of Otherness in Artworks by Immigrant Women Artists from Islamic Countries

Afzal Tousi, Effat Sadat; Mohajeri, Mahdis

doi:10.22059/jwica.2021.320433.1554

Calligraphy and Manifestation of Otherness in Artworks by Immigrant Women Artists from Islamic Countries

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Effat Sadat Afzal Tousi ¹

Mahdis Mohajeri ²

¹ Associate Professor, Art Research Department, Faculty of Art, Al-Zahra University, Tehran

² PhD Candidate in Comparative and Analytical Art Studies, Faculty of Arts, Al-Zahra University, Tehran

10.22059/jwica.2021.320433.1554

Abstract

Migration is now described not only as a geographical phenomenon but also as a cultural one, encompassing issues such as identity, language, alienation, nostalgia and roaming. These experiences can affect the process of creating a work of art. The art of migrants is known worldwide due to its representation of important themes and issues. In this context, migrant artists from Islamic countries have been able to show their artwork in many aspects. One aspect of culture that develops during migration is language, followed by calligraphy. Calligraphy is an important part of the artworks created by artists from Islamic countries. In fact, its importance to language has made different functions. Among immigrant artists, female artists have also chosen calligraphy as an important element of their work. The main question of this paper is what the reason is for the use of calligraphy by migrant women artists. When looking at the artworks, it becomes clear that female artists from Islamic countries use calligraphy to represent their identity and otherness. Mikhail Bakhtin is one of the most important philosophers of the 20^th century. One of his theories includes otherness. He believes that man always needs another man. In other words, man sees himself in the eyes of the other. This research, using the descriptive method of analysis and library sources, considers Bakhtin’s viewpoint when analyzing works of art. Among many works by female artists with migrant backgrounds from Islamic countries including Iran, Iraq, Morocco, Egypt, Palestine, and Algeria, three artworks by Moroccan, Iranian, and Iraqi women artists were selected to be specifically studied. The selected artists are Lala Esayyadi, Shirin Neshat, Havy Kahraman. These artists create their artworks in the position of otherness and they also want to highlight their identity with their otherness.

Keywords

Migration

Calligraphy

Women Artists

Islamic Countries

Mikhail Bakhtin

[1] آروین، شکوفه؛‏ دادور، ابوالقاسم‏؛ حسینی، مریم‏ (1398). رمان جنگ در ایران از منظر حضور دیگری با تکیه بر آرای باختین، متن‌پژوهی ادبی، ش 23، ص 31ـ53.

[2] احمدزاده، شیده (1391). مهاجرت در ادبیات و هنر، مجموعه مقالات نقدهای ادبی و هنری، تهران: سخن.

[3] احمدی، بابک (1389). آن‌که مثل من هست؛ آن‌که مثل من نیست، حرفه هنرمند، ش33، ص138ـ145.

[4] افضل‏طوسی، عفت‌السادات (1388). از خوشنویسی تا تایپوگرافی، تهران: هیرمند.

[5] پاکباز، رویین (1389). نقاشی ایران از دیرباز تا امروز، تهران: زرین و سیمین.

[6] تودوروف، تزوتان (1398). منطق گفت‌وگویی میخاییل باختین، ترجمة داریوش کریمی، تهران: مرکز.

[7] رابینسون، اندرو (1389). تاریخچة پیدایش خط و نوشتار، ترجمة یلدا بلارک، تهران: سبزان.

[8] رامین‌نیا، مریم؛ قبادی، حسینعلی (1392). مفهوم دیگری و دیگربودگی در انسان‏شناسی باختین و انسان‏شناسی عرفانی، نشریة پژوهش‌های ادبی، ش40، ص63ـ88

[9] رضوی‌فرد، حسین (1393). جهانی‌شدن در خوشنویسی؛ تحلیل و بررسی خوشنویسی نوین در ایران با تأکید بر نقاشی خط، نقد کتاب هنر، ش1 و 2، ص221ـ240.

[10] عظیمی، حسین؛ علیا، مسعود (1393). نسبت متن و دیگری در اندیشة باختین، کیمیای هنر، ش 13، ص 7ـ16.

[11] مصباح، گیتا؛ رهبرنیا، زهرا (1395). قدرت و مقاومت در بازنمایی پیکرة زن در آثار اعضای انجمن هنرمندان نقاش ایران، باغ نظر، س 13، ش42، ص89ـ104.

[12] میرزائی، طاهره؛ گرجی، مصطفی (1392). بررسی ماهیت و مفهوم درد و رنج در اشعار طاهره صفارزاده، فصل‌نامة پژوهش‌های ادبی و بلاغی، س اول، ش 4، ص10ـ25.

[13] نامور مطلق، بهمن (1394). درآمدی بر بینامتنیت نظریه‌ها و کاربردها، تهران: سخن.

[14] Bokharachi Elnaz, (2012). Displacement, Belonging, Photography: Gender and Iranian Identity in Shirin Neshat's The Women of Allah (1993-7) and The Book of Kings, Arizona State University, United States of America.

[15] Cichocki, Nina )2004(. Veils, Poems, Guns, and Martyrs: Four Themes of Muslim Women's Experiences in Shirin Neshat's Photographic Work, Thirdspace, volume 4 issue1. Https://journals.sfu.ca/thirdspace/index.php/journal/article/view/cichocki/161

[16] D Mignolo, Walter, (2013). Let the guest be the master: Border thinking and the aesthetic potential of migrant consciousness, https://hayvkahraman.com/2017/01/22/let-the-guest-be-the-master-border-thinking-and-the-aesthetic-potential-of-migrant-consciousness-walter-d-mignolo/.

[17] Ennaji, M. (2014). “Recognizing the Berber Language in Morocco: A Step for Democratization”, Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, 15(2), PP 93-99. Retrieved March 6, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/43773631

[18] Gurevitch, Zali, (2003). “Plurality in Dialogue/ A Comment on Bakhtin”, Michael Gardiner and Mikhail Bakhtin. Vol. 3, No. 3. PP 232-256

[19] Heartney Eleanor, Posner Helaine, Princenthal Nancy, (2013). Sue Scott, After the revolution: women who transformed contemporary art, Shirin Neshat: Living between Cultures, Munich: Prestel.

[20] Morris, Natasha (2017). How Iraqi Are you? https://hayvkahraman.com/2017/01/27/how-iraqi-are-you-natasha-morris-2016/

[21] Naef, Silvia, (2019). “Painting in Arabic: Etel Adnan and the Invention of a New Language, Manazir Journal: Journal of the Swiss Platform for the Study of Visual Arts”, Architecture and Heritage in the MENA Region, V1, Issue 1, PP 17-27, DOI: https://doi.org/10.36950/manazir.2019.1.1.2

[22] Simonowitz, David, (2010). A Modern Master of Islamic Calligraphy and Her Peers, Journal of Middle East Women's Studies, Vol. 6, No. 1 (Winter 2010). PP 75-102.

[23] T. Brooks, Sarah, (2014). The Photography of Lalla Essaydi: Critiquing and Contextualizing Orientalism, Sawhill Gallery, School of Art, Design and Art History, James Madison University.

[24] Vertovec, Steven, (1997). “Three Meanings of Diaspora, Exemplified Among South Asian Religions”, Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies, PP 5-7.

[25] Zaya, Octavio, (2015). Are we not all foreigners? https://hayvkahraman.com/2017/01/21/are-we-not-all-foreigners-octavio-zaya/

[26]https://hayvkahraman.com/

[27]https://lallaessaydi.com

[28]https://monakamal.com/

[29]https://www.sararahbar.com/

[30] https://www.artsy.net