Not stereotyped
Being considered ‘’not the usual’’ Arab woman living in a Western country, I have always been questioned about my right, education, and freedom. However, not being a stereotype was always accompanied with being westernised or exceptional even though I am not, but it can only be explained that way. It is understandable that these stereotypes are formed and reflected through Western media and art. For example, in the past Arabs were largely recognized in the West as “erotic”, “primitive”, “ignorant”, “slave traders” among other many derogatory terms. Lately, the terms such as “terrorist”, “fundamentalist” and “blood-thirsty” are the terms that are over-generally ascribed to the Arabs.
As a feminist Arab Designer, I want to use illustrations and graphical narration as a way of knowing, and a way of constructing a new narrative about being an Arab woman that goes beyond the reduction committed by global media stereotypes.
The fuel of the project is narratives gathered by Arabs mainly women, as well as situated knowledge and personal experiences. These narratives were gathered through research, questionnaires, personal situations as well as scenes from media.
The project aims to shift the knowledge produced about Arab women from its historically Orientalist discourse towards an open-ended inquiry.