Farah Salem

Disclosed, Commanding Waves (2017)
performance photography print
16.5 x 23.25 in.

The Abaya is a cloak worn by some women in Muslim cultures as a representation of modesty, it is often used in public spaces. This piece of cloth is an evolution of something that both men and women in the past who lived in the desert wore to protect themselves from excessive heat. Over time, it became a costume mainly for women. Today, it no longer applies to all women. The Abaya used in this artwork is a traditional Kuwaiti black cloak. It is used as a symbol questioning what lies beneath these veils. The intention of this artwork is to uncover hidden and unspoken truths. Disclosed attempts to express the statements that have been silenced by society, through the painted images on a series of black Abayas, and the conversation being exchanged between the spaces these Abayas stand in.