The exhibition is open daily from April 15 to April 24, 2025, from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Gezairi Building Gallery, LAU, Beirut.

The Ramzi and Saeda Dalloul Art Foundation (DAF) and the Institute of Art in the Arab World (IAAW) at the Lebanese American University (LAU) are proud to present Women’s Agency in Arab Art: Kinship, Education, and Political Activism: an exhibition that sheds light on the complex trajectories and contributions of pioneering Arab women artists born between 1905 and 1948.

Opening on April 14, 2025: the exhibition explores how kinship, political engagement, and educational access intersected with artistic production across key periods in modern Arab history. It features 40 artworks by 19 modernist women artists and educators from Iraq, Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, and Morocco, many of whom played central roles in the development of influential movements such as the Baghdad Modern Art Group, Art et Liberté, the Contemporary Art Group in Egypt, and the Houroufia movement.

The exhibition includes works by: Effat Naghi (Egypt, 1905-1994), Inji Efflatoun (Egypt, 1924-1989), Gazbia Sirry (Egypt, 1925-2021), Zeinab Abdel Hamid (Egypt, 1919-2002), Tahia Halim (Egypt, 1919-2003), Anna Boghiguian (Egypt, b. 1946), Vera Tamari (Palestine, b. 1945), Lorna Selim (Iraq, 1928-2021), Naziha Selim (Iraq, 1926-2008), Suzanne Al-Cheikhli (Iraq, 1920-2008), Lisa Fattah (Iraq, 1941-1992), Yvette Ashkar (Lebanon, 1928-2024), Helen Khal (Lebanon, 1923-2009), Afaf Zurayk (Lebanon, b. 1948), Samia Osseiran Junblatt (Lebanon, 1944-2024), Huguette Caland (Lebanon, 1931-2019), Juliana Seraphim (Lebanon, 1934-2005), Latifa Toujani (Morocco, b. 1948), and Princess Wijdan Ali (Jordan, b. 1939).

These women not only shaped the visual arts in the Arab world but also contributed to broader cultural and political discourse. Besides being visual artists, some were educators, others were political activists, and many were both. Their agency emerged through personal resilience, familial support, and resistance to patriarchal and colonial structures. While many came from upper or middle-class backgrounds that offered access to education and travel, their deep engagement with their local contexts defined their practice and legacy.

Women’s Agency in Arab Art also includes archival materials, images, and publications that contextualize the artists' lives and work. Additionally, the exhibition acknowledges the impact of pivotal life partners in shaping these artists’ legacies, including Italian poet, writer, and art historian Toni Maraini (wife of artist Mohamed Melehi), Moroccan writer Rajae Benchemsi (wife of artist Farid Belkahia), and Iraqi poet and writer May Muzaffar (wife of artist Rafa Nasiri).

Set against the backdrop of anti-colonial struggle, the rise of nationalism, and the emergence of Arab and global feminist movements, this exhibition highlights the intertwined personal and political histories of Arab women artists who challenged restrictive norms through their art and actions. It is both a celebration and a necessary reminder of their pioneering roles in shaping modern Arab visual culture.

A Panel discussion on April 14 from 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. will precede the exhibition's opening. DAF & LAU are proud to receive the following panelists: May Muzaffar (Iraqi Poet and writer, wife of Rafa al-Nasiri); Ruba Salim (Daughter of Nazar Salim, niece of Naziha Salim and Jewad Selim); Vera Tamari (Palestinian visual artist, art historian, curator, and educator; founder of Birzeit Museum of Ethnography and Art); and Dr. Mona Knio (Associate Professor, USEK - Holy Spirit University of Kaslik).