Thirteenth International Conference on The Image

Abstract

This paper presents my concept of feminism from my lens as a Saudi Muslim artist and links it with the context of conditions for producing art in Saudi Arabia. While my artworks are essentially related to women, I did not take a feminist stance for several reasons. Feminism that calls for absolute equality between man and woman is an idea that has a different dimension in my Islamic culture. Men and women are equal in value, but far from the idea of ‘sameness’ as seen in many western social considerations. In Saudi culture, there is a negative affiliation with the term ‘feminism’ due to the perception that women are rivaling men for superiority. Determining whether this is an issue with conflicting values in the local mindset or specifically with the term ‘feminism’ itself is an important research area; namely, studying whether there is a semantics problem or a cultural one. In Saudi culture, both men and women have confused visions of feminism. The misconception of feminist epistemologies from both sides is an area that warrants further investigation.