Photography courtesy projects+gallery and Mariane Ibrahim Gallery
"Aisha's Story I," 2016.
This weekend, follow Italian-Senegalese multimedia artist Maimouna Guerresi down a haunting and evocative rabbit hole of identity in her exhibition Aisha in Wonderland. Guerresi was born in Italy into a Catholic family and converted to Islam later in life, after living in Senegal.
The show at projects+gallery features her photographs of covered female figures in ambiguous and sometimes distorted milieu. It’s presented in collaboration with Mariane Ibrahim Gallery in Seattle.
Bridget Melloy, senior director of projects+gallery, said it’s important for the gallery to amplify underrepresented voices, such as those from women, artists of color, and other minority groups. The show lets a member of an oft-discussed and perhaps poorly understood minority group, Muslim women, speak for herself.
“I think the depiction of Islamic women was something that we were really interested in, the way that she showed them in their dress, the way she elaborated them, and kind of distorted the dress,” says Melloy. The Western stereotype of Muslim women as subjugated or submissive is absent. “She shows Muslim women as literally tall figures, with a direct gaze out toward the viewer.”
Photography courtesy projects+gallery and Mariane Ibrahim Gallery
"M.K.," 2016.
Guerresi’s tinkering with perspective provokes varying views of the subjects.
“There’s this sense of distortion which certainly plays into the title of the show, Aisha in Wonderland," Melloy says. “Looking through the looking glass at these women she’s depicted. She’s able to make them seem large or small, taking the magic potion to grow or shrink.”
Women in very long hijabs, standing on what appear to be diving platforms and seeming to float in space recall Alice’s tumble down the rabbit hole, says Melloy. Many of the garments include highly stylized openings into the figures, but you can’t actually see the women through them. The apertures reveal, but at the same time obscure.
“One thing that strikes me most about her work is this idea of duality,” says Melloy. “She was raised Catholic and converted to Islam in midlife, when she was 40. I think oftentimes the clothing looks like a hijab but other times it looks like a veil. This is not only a reference to what we would see as a typical depiction of a Muslim woman, but also iconography of Catholicism and the Madonna.”
Photography courtesy projects+gallery and Mariane Ibrahim Gallery
"Aisha's Story II," 2016.
While her work may be new to St. Louisans, Guerresi has been in prestigious shows worldwide, including the Venice Biennale and Documenta.
“A lot of the work is based upon universal truths—the connection to female spirituality, women having a strong spirituality and showing strength in that,” Melloy says. “I think that can be an entry point for a lot of people, whatever their faith background is.”
The opening reception for Aisha in Wonderland is Friday, June 29, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at projects+gallery, 4733 McPherson. The show runs through July 28.
