Unveiled

12 December – 04 January 2020

Curator: Mishelle Brito

Artist: Husam Al-Deen

‘Unveiled’ is a series of photographs capturing the Muslim female silhouette, maintaining reverence while presenting an internal narrative paying homage to the women empowering a new generation of proud Muslims thriving in society. Influenced by minimalism and surrealist theory, these images are a contemporary and nuanced interpretation of the “Muslim female” aesthetic, placing the veiled woman outside the conventional milieu.

‘Unveiled’ serves as a testament to the enduring strength Muslim women possess while often ostracized or while facing the daily stigmatic discourse around identity. This exhibition seeks to help us better inform our judgements and predispositions serving as a means to emancipate ourselves from the unconscious biases we often carry of ‘the other.’

Husam Al-Deen is a London based British-Iraqi commercial photographer & filmmaker. His interests lie in capturing the nuances of the Arab and Muslim world through a contemporary minimalist lens.

Mishelle Brito is a London based artistic programmer & curator working to create dialogues relating to societal concerns in the Middle East through art, culture & creative based methods.

reACT is an innovative program, established by P21 Gallery & Amal (a Saïd Foundation programme) to promote and support emerging and student artists whose work is dedicated to or inspired by the Middle East & Arab world by providing a space within the P21 Gallery for an artistic intervention. ‘reACT’ aims to contribute in building and strengthening cultural ties and dialogues between the East and West on terms designed by a younger generation.

P21 Gallery is an independent London-based charitable trust established to promote contemporary Middle Eastern and Arab art and culture.

Amal (a Saïd Foundation Programme) Amal - ‘hope’ in Arabic – is a programme of the Saïd Foundation making grants in the UK in support of a rich diversity of arts projects and activities, including storytelling, visual arts, theatre, poetry, film, music and dance. The programme aims to further the following dual interlinked objectives: 1) To increase understanding of Britain’s Muslim communities among people of other faiths and none; 2) To foster a stronger sense of belonging in the UK among its Muslim communities.

Press Information

For further exhibition information, press images and interview opportunities, please contact P21 Gallery at: reACT@p21.org.uk