My Name is Woman | 2022

Client: Maha Al-Asaker

Location: Kuwait - Contemporary Art Platform.

Scope: Art Curation, Exhibition Design

Working closely with artist Maha Al-Asakir, the curation and design of her exhibition broke away from the conventions of chronology or the clustering of media, focusing instead on how the visitor's body occupies the space. The spatial design had to address the awkward geometry of the space and the lack of intimacy in the existing condition, while balancing the presentation of soft textiles and embroidery pieces alongside photographic works, all of which deal with what it means to be a woman.

The design is structured around a central room, a temporary chamber for isolation and deep contemplation. Upon arrival, the visitor is guided to the right, ricocheting among artworks, and finds themselves fully contained within the showcase. As they walk around the back corner, they are confronted by a mirror with an embroidered slip dress suspended in front of it. This gesture invites the visitor to inhabit the slip and its intentions by confronting their own reflection as they view it.

Walking around the central volume, one notices a small threshold. The walls are black, the entry is compressed, the space builds with tension as it releases them into the dining room, where the artist presents tablecloths embroidered with sayings used to degrade women in society, but only behind closed doors. The table is set with motifs and objects from her work that symbolize her body in its many perceptions and manifestations. The organic matter was left throughout the entire run of the show to wither and rot, echoing the ruin those words often carry.

Emerging from the central spiral, the visitor can choose to conclude their visit and exit to the left, or revisit the work from this new perspective on our relationship with women within a broader social and psychological context.