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Small Leaves – RFGA

Ghada Amer
Small Leaves – RFGA, 2014
Acrylic, embroidery and gel medium on canvas
Work: 91.4 x 106.7 cm

The transgressive erotic embroideries, which brought Amer to prominence in the 1990s, depict forms with the delicacy of needle and thread. The choice of this subject matter, rendered using thread and acrylic paint, speak to Amer’s interest in subverting assumptions related to the roles and attributes assigned to women, rejecting both religious-driven laws that govern women’s bodies as well as second-wave feminist ideas that reject expressions of conventional femininity as an avenue to empowerment. “I wanted to paint with embroidery. I was speaking about women with a medium for women, and it made the speaking stronger and more present.” - Ghada Amer