Curated by Joud Halawani Al-Tamimi, the “Multitudes” exhibition in London forms an integral part of the Arab Women Artists Now (AWAN) Festival 2017. The AWAN is an annual event that celebrates Arab women artists, by offering them the platform to increase the visibility of their artwork and by exposing their talent to newer audiences.
The exhibition seeks to deconstruct what it means to be an “Arab Woman Artist Now.” At a time when Arab women continue to be misrepresented, their experiences essentialized, and their bodies and garments used to bolster a discourse that portrays the Arab world as backward and regressive, “Multitudes” provides a platform for Arab women to reclaim their narrative.
The ultimate aim is to increase understanding around Arab women’s diverse realities and concerns, shed light on the multitudes contained within each of them, while providing an alternative, more nuanced perspective on the Arab region and its peoples.
Curator Al-Tamimi said: “The exhibition undertakes a task that is very essential at times when cultural differences are being used to fuel conflict and create fissures in culturally diverse societies.”
The exhibition comprises the work of 10 both emerging and established Arab women artists. The line up includes: Alia Ali (Yemen), Arwa Al-Neami (Saudi Arabia), Hela Ammar (Tunisia), Houda Ghorbel (Tunisia), Lubna Abdelaziz (Egypt), Asmaa Alanbari (Iraq), Izdehar Afyouni (Jordan), Nessma Djhouri (Algeria), Nour Malas (Syria) and Maya Beano (Jordan).
“Multitudes” opens to the public on March 1 and runs until March 19.

Source: Arab News