HUDA LUTFI: STILL REPRESENTATIONS OF A DYNAMIC VOICE
An intellect, an artist, an
innovator, it’s impossible and possibly counterintuitive to try and categorize
the dynamism that is the Egyptian artist, Huda Lutfi.
Huda’s academic pursuits have
seen her obtain a PHD in Islamic Culture and History in Montreal. Her
continued commitment and passion led her to pursue a career as a distinguished
Associate Professor, teaching Islamic Culture and History. Despite never having
any formal training as an artist, her extensive knowledge in her specialised
academic area has manifested into an array of visual masterpieces.
Mai Serhan 2012 observes that:
‘Indeed,
much, if not all, her artistic work has been a visual translation of her
historical interests in the city (Cairo). ‘
Huda’s artworks simultaneously
present a socio-political and aesthetic challenge. With regard to the former, Huda
has become famous for her strong feminist themes that resonate in much of her work.
She provides a distinctly feminine angle in her works that is both relevant and
in some respects revolutionary. The feminist tones stem from her observation of
the lack of female presence in the historical documentation of Islamic culture
that she has studied for so long. She
ensures a more wholesome perspective of Egyptian events whilst providing a form
of protest by
‘making women the
mouthpieces of the city’.
She is
proactive in advocating female emancipation and as a historian; she recognises
the fundamental importance of documenting the journey to emancipation.
Her piece entitled ‘Crossing the Red Line’ (2011) documents
an important move in the female struggle. An image of soldiers has been manipulated
to represent a truth; that women played an integral part in the revolution. She
uses photographs of female faces and applies them on to what appears to be male
bodies. These women are portrayed as powerful and liberated, with their assertive
stances, ‘walkie talkies’ in hand and heads held high.
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| Crossing the Red Line: Courtesy of The Artist and The Third Line |
One can’t help but feel a degree
of sensitivity to the fact that these women are quite literally ‘wearing the
trousers’. Which seems to be a paradoxical representation from a feminist point
of view; if trousers were viewed in the traditional masculine sense. However, it
is a definite example of Huda’s perceptions of ‘imposed identities’. She
believes identities such as gender identity is an imposed construct and is in
no way definitive or fixed. Thus, we are traditionally it is accepted that trousers are a masculine garment and so is correlational with a masculine identity, Huda seems to want to break this.
Her work tries to evoke the
restrictions that human beings face in their lives, be it restrictions on
thinking, restrictions on the body. She believes there is a way out of getting
too attached to our ‘imposed’ identities.
The art work shows both men and
women crossing a red line, which is symbolic in two ways’; crossing the line of
fear that all Egyptian revolutionaries faced. As well as crossing a line
towards equality; an important step for the women’s liberation movement.
Aesthetically, her images are
equally as bold and confrontational as the message she wishes to portray. She
juxtaposes the modern and the traditional, the real and the imagined, and
attempts to collaborate styles transcending cultural lines.
Repetition is a style that Huda
is very fond of. On many of her pieces she repeats the Sufi text, to decorate
her works. This is significant as writing is highly significant when decorating
object and building in Islamic art.
‘The naturally decorative nature of Arabic script, led to the use of calligraphic
decorations, which usually involved repeating geometrical patterns that
expressed ideals of order and nature’
Her installation piece entitled ‘Carpet of Remembrance’ (2003) is a
perfect example of her vast collaborative methods, as well as her willingness
to challenge the norms.
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Carpet of Remembrance:
Courtesy of The Artist and The Third Line |
'Carpet of Remembrance' is a collection of a
shoe maker’s last (the forms used to shape a shoe), which have been painted
silver and are repeatedly covered in the old Sufi adage
“I am the companion of
the one who remembers me.” This was a highly controversial
piece as it was sacrilege to write Sufi text on any kind of shoe – despite Huda
writing on shoemakers last
and not an actual shoe, this
did cause a degree of contention.
Her pieces can be brave, honest and
controversial in both the message they provide and the aesthetic image they
project. She is unafraid to depict the controversial truth and attempts to instigate
social change and create new truths.
