Laila Masri paints outside the box–the box, she says, that society wants to push women into. “That box labeled ‘the oppressed, the angelic, the sexualised, the dominating…the list goes on.” Instead of “narrowing women down to one particular image”, she rather depicts women in all their variety: “their wide range of lifestyles, egos, personalities, quirks, and most of all, how they are inspired by both Middle Eastern and global influences of mainstream culture.”
Some of Masri’s work focuses on the ties binding women to their communities. In the recurring series “Social Threads”, feminine figures appear as processions of vertical skeins. But in individual portraits these threads evolve. In “Operation Dubai”, a female face is crowned with a modern cityscape, while “Mathematics” pictures a like figure’s angry explosive “brainstorm” hinting at new creations. Her latest portrait, “Opium Bride”, achieves her lushest enigma yet.
For more info – www.lailamasri.com
