Lalla EssaydiArt trapped by words

She grew up in a conservative Muslim family that praised her brothers because they were boys. Her childhood inspired her art because she felt like she didn’t have nearly as many privileges as her brothers did.

She contradicts her own Islamicreligion by creating calligraphyby voicing her opinion.

• Lalla Essaydi (Moroccan) makes social statements in her work about being born and raised in a part of the world where women have little freedom. She shows this in her art by using layers of henna calligraphy signifying the heavy tradition stamped on each individual, even before they are born.

Calligraphy + HennaHenna tattoos are

traditionally a more feminine art

Until very recently, calligraphy was an art practiced only by men

Preparation of Photographs

• Essaydi herself applies EVERY line of henna using a syringe.

• The models are engaged for years at a time, so the poses are thoughtfully conceived.

• “It is an important step for me to understand myself, and take myself as an example in talking about what these women face, to examine my own culture, my childhood, and take that and say something about women in general.” –Lalla Essaydi

A new take on European Orientalist paintings

Ingres, Jean Auguste Dominique (1780-1867). The Great Odalisque. 1819. Photo: Thierry Le Mage. Louvre, Paris, France. Image: Réunion des Musées Nationaux/Art Resource, NY