Partisans of the Nude: An Arab Art Genre in an Era of Contest, 1920-1960

Partisans of the Nude explores the complex and often contested representation of the nude in Arab art from 1920 to 1960. This exhibition offers an in-depth examination of how Arab artists utilized the nude as a powerful medium to challenge colonial narratives, assert modern Arab identity, and push the boundaries of artistic expression. At the crossroads of modernism and traditional Arab aesthetics, the exhibition highlights the nuanced relationship between the body, art, and socio-political resistance during a pivotal era in Arab art history.

By focusing on the representation of the nude, Partisans of the Nude presents the genre as both a site of artistic activism and a vehicle for cultural transformation. The exhibition revisits the works of pioneering Arab artists who, amidst colonial occupation and societal restrictions, used the body as a means to explore themes of freedom, modernity, and identity. Their bold and often controversial works reveal a deep engagement with global modernist movements while remaining rooted in the socio-political realities of the Arab world.