Authentic American Materials

In Essaydi’s two latest series, Bullets and Bullets Revisited, scenes are created with bullet casings which transform the domestic interior space into a psychological realm charged with violence within contemporary society.[1] Creating these series proved to be another challenge that Essaydi faced as a multicultural artist, for it is illegal in Morocco to own a gun and therefore it is illegal to acquire bullets and their casings. Thus it took over a year for Essaydi to gather the bullet casings in America, to assemble them in the work, and transport the materials to Morocco piece-by-piece. The bullet casings imply violence that exists in the contemporary society.  Essaydi is using them as a response to the revolutions that began in the region in 2011.  In an interview she states, “My response to it is to use something that is so beautiful but when you think about it is really significant of violence, and violence on women to protect the domestic space”.[2]  Rather than using pain to pull people in she uses beauty.  Essaydi is determined for Western audiences to understand the unique experiences of the Arab women she presents in her work.

Essaydi works to fuse together the cultures that form her diverse background. Her broad range of exhibits exposes her and her ideas/art to the contemporary art world, making her an artist, who sweeps across cultures, educating through her art.