Ghada Amer

Witches, 2022

In Ghada Amer’s text-embroidered paintings, the artist uses citations and quotes about female identity and empowerment. These carefully stitched canvases highlight problematic constructs of femininity and draw attention to the erosion of women’s liberation in Western society. The artist explains:

“In Western societies, there is an assumption, especially among the younger generations, that the battle of the sexes has been won, that women have been liberated, and that their rights are secure. And yet, we are witnessing today a sharp regression of women’s rights and a stark rise of violence against women. However, in countries where one assumes women’s rights to be limited or absent, such as in Egypt, Iran, Afghanistan, or Mexico, women of the younger generation know they have a lot to gain from fighting for those very same rights that are eroding in the West.” — Ghada Amer

In 'Witches', 2021, a white monochrome painting, Amer cites from an unknown source:

“We were taught to fear the witches and not those who burned them alive.”