Essaydi’s Brand of Feminism

Lalla Essaydi is specifically contributing to the feminist movement in Morocco.  She does this  in her photographs with her use of the veil, the absence of the veil, and the calligraphy in her artwork.

Calligraphy is traditionally a male art form, dating back to the seventh century.  Since literacy is a major issue for women in Morocco, it is still rather male-dominated art form.  In the Muslim world, calligraphy is seen as the highest form of art. Calligraphy in Arabic is literally translated as beautiful art.[1]

 On the topic of calligraphy, Essaydi stated in an interview, “For me, [calligraphy] is important because it’s the writing style of the Quran, and because it’s a masculine art form I didn’t have access to growing up. Poetry, architecture and calligraphy have always been considered “high-art” in Islamic culture. By writing calligraphy with henna, a medium associated with women’s craft, I put the two together instead of pulling them apart.”[2]

In another interview she describes her relationship with calligraphy and the processes of her calligraphy in her photographs as follows: “When I was growing up, calligraphy was not included in the school curriculum, although it could be studied via a private tutor. It has only recently been introduced in Moroccan art schools. I personally have no training in calligraphic art, and approached it as an artist would approach any new artistic medium, attaining skill through practice. I have developed my own method of transcribing my calligraphic text—applying henna via a syringe. The text is written in an abstract, poetic style, so that it acquires a universality which reaches beyond cultural borders. But the text inscribed on the women is deliberately indecipherable, invented forms that allude to kufic calligraphy, but yield little direct access to information. Thus the interplay between graphic symbolism and literal meaning, as well as the European assumption that the written holds the best access to reality, are constantly questioned.[3]

“In my mind, since calligraphy, poetry, and architecture are considered high art in Islamic Art as it could be seen though art history, I use it to reclaim the rich tradition of calligraphy and interweaving it with the traditionally female art of henna. I have been able to express, and yet, in another sense, dissolve the contradictions I have encountered in my culture: between hierarchy and fluidity, between public and private space, between the richness and the confining aspects of Islamic traditions. “[4]

Further more, Essaydi states, “I go to great lengths to make the text illegible. I want it to become a language of its own, appreciated in the same way as the figure. It doesn’t necessarily need to have a meaning. The whole work is my story and the story of these women.”[5]

Clothing has always been something important to people all over the world. Different clothing can say different things about a person.  It says one thing to the person selecting the clothing and another to the person who interprets the reason for the clothing choices.  In Morocco, as well as other Arab countries, women typically wear a veil, or hijab, to preserve their modesty.  The veil is a symbolic piece of clothing to create a barrier between the public and private areas. Even in American when the veil is worn,  a certain amount of discomfort is created, most likely from lack of knowledge.  A sophomore at JMU, on the topic of the challenges faced with being a minority on campus, states “I have to break people’s misconceptions and be a good representative of women like me.”[6] Essaydi uses her photographs as an expression for her feminist position specifically about the veil.

In an interview, Essaydi says “Women’s sexuality, in the Arab world, has determined the very nature of public and private space. Arab women traditionally occupy a private space, but wherever a woman is, when a man enters that space, he establishes it as public. This separation of public and private is testament to the power of women’s sexuality. It also helps explain how Arab women became sexualized under a Western gaze. In a sense, what the West did was to dissolve the boundaries between public and private, and—here is the important point—the Arab world responded by reinstating those boundaries in a way that would be clear and visible. Behind the veil, an Arab woman maintains a private place, even in public. “[7]

 Essaydi does not fight this feminist battle vocally.  Rather she does so silently with her artwork.  Even silently she has made a difference.  As she stated in an interview, “My work is also in the private collection of His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco and I’ve very proud to have my work in his collection.  I am proud because it means that these heads of state and these institutes acknowledge and support me and these women and our cause.  It’s not so much about the prestige or flattery.  I have issues I am working on, and if they are recognized by people in power, then maybe there is a chance there will be a little change and this is why it’s important.  I am flattered to have my work validated by these institutes, but it is very important for me that they recognize what I am doing for what it is, that I am working with these women to bring about change.  I am an Arab woman and I don’t want to be seen any more as an Arab woman who is oppressed and confided and locked away.  And I don’t want to hear people telling me, “but you are different.” I think they don’t know any Arab women like me and so they decide that we are all like that.  At least people will start recognizing that not all Arab women are oppressed, so I am very grateful. I have been getting a lot of exhibitions all over the Arab world.  It took a little longer for them, but the work has been very well received.”[8]

 In conclusion, the events of the Arab Springs and the artwork of Essaydi have created great strides in equal rights in Morocco.   Although there is still a long way to go to be truly equal, the continuation of Essaydi’s artwork, along with her work traveling around the globe and becoming increasingly popular and well-known, will only increase Morocco’s chances of eventually being a more gender equal country.