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Ghada Amer

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Biography

Ghada Amer, born on May 22, 1963, in Cairo, Egypt, is a contemporary artist known for her exploration of gender and sexuality through art. After emigrating from Egypt to France at the age of 11, she received her education in Paris and Nice. Currently based in New York City, Amer’s work is characterized by intricately embroidered paintings, often featuring women’s bodies in reference to explicit imagery. Growing up, Amer’s exposure to different cultures due to her father’s diplomatic career significantly influenced her art. Her interest in sentimental postcards and images of love served as an early inspiration for her artistic endeavors. She pursued her artistic education at the Villa Arson École Nationale Supérieure d’Art in Nice, France, obtaining her B.F.A. in painting in 1986 and her M.F.A. in 1989. Additionally, she studied abroad at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts in Boston, Massachusetts in 1987. Amer is recognized for her distinctive approach, which combines painting with needlework, addressing themes like femininity, sexuality, postcolonial identities, and Islamic culture. Her most famous works feature large-scale paintings where embroidered images of women in explicit poses are layered over abstract acrylic backgrounds. This technique is a deliberate subversion of the traditionally male-dominated genre of painting, offering a feminist perspective. In her work, Amer selects explicit images of women, traces them onto Vellum paper, and then transfers them onto canvases or incorporates them into works on paper. Her signature style involves embroidery, a medium with feminist significance since the 1970s. Amer’s art challenges norms surrounding female sexuality and employs politically incorrect imagery for subversive purposes. Her multiple relocations and exposure to diverse cultures continue to shape her artistic expressions.

News / Ranking / Titbits / Awards

2009: Artist-in-Residence, Leroy Nieman Center for Print Studies, Columbia University, New York 2008: Artist-in-Residence, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Artist-in-Residence, Pace Prints Chelsea, New York 2007: Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship Program, Washington, D.C., Artist-in-Residence, Singapore Tyler Print Institute, Singapore 2005: Artist-in-Residence, H&R Block Artspace at Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, Missouri 1999: Artist-in-Residence, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, UNESCO Prize, 48th International Art Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia, Venice, Italy 1997: Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant, New York> 1996: Artist-in-Residence, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

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