Lebanese Artist Tests Opinions of Arab Women through Her Art

 

 

Lebanese artist Christina Atik has created a series of digital pictures to show expressions commonly used in Arab countries to criticize women. She hopes her creations will empower Arab women.

The project raises issues like female freedom, beauty and sexuality in societies traditionally led by men.

Atik, 27, said she thought of the project last year after her younger sister Maria was criticized by their mother.

"My sister has a big nose and my mother always made fun of her," the artist said. The mother would say things like ‘when are you going to do an operation for your nose?’ and ‘your nose is not nice for a girl.’

Atik told the Reuters news agency, “I decided¹ to do a drawing for my sister to show her that her nose is beautiful and she doesn’t have to listen to mum. And this worked. She did not do an operation for her nose.”

The picture won praise from local art supporters and quickly turned into a series. The Reuters report said there are currently seven illustrations.

Other illustrations read: “It’s not nice for a girl to have (body) hair,” “It’s not nice for a girl to like another girl” or “It’s not nice for a girl to live alone”. Each saying has its own picture, digitally created by Atik, along with a comment in Arabic.

“I think it’s very important to sit and talk about such subjects. So maybe we can break them or stop them and have the courage to say ‘no, I won’t do my nose operation’ or ‘no, I want to leave the house’ or else,” Atik said.

Her pictures have been shared across the internet. They have received many shares and have increased Atik’s followers² on one social media website.

“I hadn’t at all expected people to share them that much, and women have started to send me things they hear from their families and societies around them. Women from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia... were touched by the illustrations I did, so that was something really nice,” she said.

Atik believes the condition of women is slowly improving around the world.

“I think we have a long way to go in Lebanon and in the whole world (on women’s rights) but I think we’re getting there, little by little,” she said.

Lebanon recently appointed the Arab world’s first female interior minister. She is just one of four women in the country’s government.

While some consider Lebanon a liberal country in the Middle East, it continues to permit marriages between children and adults and marital³ rape⁴.

I'm Susan Shand.

Words in This Story

digital - adj. using or involving computer technology

drawing – n. an image made by a series of lines

illustration – n. a picture or drawing in a book, magazine

courage – n. the ability to do something that is difficult or dangerous

interior – adj. concerned with the inside of a country or home

 

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

3 marital   

adj.婚姻的，夫妻的

参考例句：

• Her son had no marital problems.她的儿子没有婚姻问题。
• I regret getting involved with my daughter's marital problems;all its done is to bring trouble about my ears.我后悔干涉我女儿的婚姻问题, 现在我所做的一切将给我带来无穷的烦恼。

4 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。