Author: mara.ahmed

on a day such as this…

on a day such as this, when a woman’s right to do as she pleases with her own body is taken away, what a pleasure to be in community with women. after dropping off my artwork at the huntington arts council, i had lunch with a friend from high school. the last time we met was decades ago in islamabad where we studied together for two years. she was one of the most brilliant girls in my class and unsurprisingly is now a brilliant doctor, with brilliant kids mashallah. i still remember the radical ideas we shared as very young women, the questions we had about accepted norms and precepts, how i read a lot of bertrand russell back then but also allama iqbal and the rubáiyát of omar khayyám. i still remember our discussions, activated by azra’s probing questions and skepticism. such thrilling times when our confidence was extreme and we could ace the world. maybe we still can. it’s just a matter of perception.

#friendsfromhighschool #womenfriends #friendshipisagift #womenempowerment #womensrighttochoose #womensrights #abortionisawomansright #womenshealth #womensagency

A convo with Uzma Aslam Khan at McNally Jackson Seaport

I am honored to engage in conversation with the brilliant Uzma Aslam Khan about her new book, The Miraculous True History of Nomi Ali, on June 28th (7pm) at McNally Jackson Seaport (4 Fulton St) in NYC.

Beautifully written and part of the important process of decolonizing history and literature, Uzma’s book brings to life revolutions that have been erased and forgotten, and exposes (oh so eloquently) the mechanics of colonial oppression. It’s a stunning book that demands a rich convo.

Pls join us for a discussion, reading and book signing in NYC. Tickets are available here. Pls invite others and share widely!

my work selected for the ‘uncommon threads’ exhibition in huntington

my artwork ‘embroidered dreams,’ which is inspired by my grandmother niaz fatima, has been selected for a juried exhibition organized by the huntington arts council! the show is entitled ‘uncommon threads.’ it focuses on fiber arts in all their unconventional forms. my collage is an homage to my grandmother’s embroidery and is partly constructed with pakistani fabric. yes, long island!

The Amber Heard-Johnny Depp trial was an orgy of misogyny

Moira Donegan: For their part, Depp’s fans seem to not so much deny Depp’s alleged violence against Heard, but to approve of it. “He could have killed you,” says one viral Tiktok supporting Depp, the text superimposed over photos of Heard’s bruised face. “He had every right.” The post has more than 222,200 likes.

The backlash to #MeToo has long been under way. Critics of the movement painted women’s efforts to end sexual violence as excessive and intemperate from the start, claiming #MeToo had “gone too far” before it really got under way at all. And yet the Heard trial does feel like a tipping point in our culture’s response to gender violence. The forces of misogynist reaction are perhaps even stronger now for having been temporarily repressed. Where once women refused, en masse, to keep men’s secrets, or to remain silent about the truth of their own lives, now, a resurgence of sexism, virulent online harassment, and the threat of lawsuits, all aim to compel women back into silence – by force.

In some ways, one could see the defamation suit itself as an extension of Depp’s abuse of Heard, a way to prolong his humiliation and control over her. The only difference is that now, the legal system and the public have been conscripted to take part. This seems to be at least partly how Depp sees it. In 2016, as their marriage broke apart, Depp texted his friend Christian Carino, vowing revenge against Heard. “She is begging for global humiliation,” Depp wrote. “She is going to get it.” From the Guardian.

artwork in my office

artwork by Erica Bryant and Karen Faris in my office along with posters for film screenings over the years. also a one of a kind whistle by Delia Robinson and a beautiful ceramic bowl and plate created by my sister. reminds me of a sunflower, like the one in our kitchen <3

#artworkmakesmehappy #artworkfromfriends #artworkfrommysiste? #myoffice #aroomofonesown #setauket #longisland

Article in Newsday about our exhibition

Article in Newsday about our exhibition at Westbury Arts:
“Honoring the Past and Creating the Future”

WHEN | WHERE Through May 27, 2-6 p.m. Friday and 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Westbury Arts, 255 Schenck Ave.

Six Long Island women artists whose cultural heritages stretch across the globe share works that reference identity, immigration, history and fantasy. In her “This Heirloom” series, Brookhaven artist and filmmaker Mara Ahmed creates layered images full of texture, color and memories – some remembered, some imagined.
“Art,” she stated, “allows us to imagine alternative futures”

More here.

#asianamericanpacificislander #asianamericanpacificislanderheritagemonth #artexhibition #openingreception #westburyarts #westbury #longisland

opening of the asian american pacific islander heritage art exhibition at westbury arts

pictures from the opening of the asian american pacific islander heritage art exhibition at westbury arts on may 6, 2022

photographs by ed shin/shinbone photography

#asianamericanpacificislander #asianamericanpacificislanderheritagemonth #artexhibition #openingreception #westburyarts #westbury #longisland #opening #artopening

Rest in Power Shireen Abu Akleh

Repost from @shirien.creates

Shireen Abu Akleh was shot on Wed May 11 by Israeli forces while reporting on their raid on the occupied Palestinian city of Jenin.

Shireen was wearing a press vest, which is a recognized symbol and way to identify her as press and provide a level of protection. She was also wearing a helmet. Shireen’s colleagues and eyewitnesses described that she was directly targeted by an Israeli sniper and shot with precision.

Shireen was a well-known Al Jazeera journalist that so many of us grew up watching as she covered the news on the ground in Palestine for decades. She was a household name for Palestinians across the diaspora, glued to their TVs to know what is happening in the homeland in times of crisis.

The fact that Israeli forces can kill such a famous reporter with impunity speaks volumes about the state of what’s happening in Palestine. Not even those trying to shed light on the situation are safe.

I couldn’t sleep last night when I heard the news of Shireen’s murder, so I drew this portrait in her honor. My thoughts and prayers are with her family, loved ones, and colleagues. Her voice will not be forgotten.

Allah yir7amha. Justice for Shireen. Free Palestine.

back in chicago

after taking off for laguardia this morning, we were told that the plane didn’t have enough ‘pressure’ so we had to turn back. we circled on top of chicago for an hour and then landed back at o’hare, close to the time we would have landed in ny had everything gone as planned.

but my sister picked me up, we had lunch at portillo’s, fresh samosas from asian island, and then chai with her lovely friends. everything works out in the end <3

The Reassuring Hand Gestures of Big Men, Small Men, All Men

‘Berlin-based Pakistani artist Bani Abidi’s photographic work, The Reassuring Hand Gestures of Big Men, Small Men, All Men (2021), is one that gently chips away at longstanding mythologies of male power. And like those myths, it works by endless repetition, in this case, and as the title suggests, of the hand gestures that have, for millennia, been an essential component of the performance of politics.’
Some of the individuals featured in this work: Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, Ronald Reagan, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Alexander Lukashenko, Jair Bolsonaro, Tony Blair, Imran Khan, Narendra Modi, Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, Joseph Stalin, Hun Sen, Robert Mugabe, Kim Jong-un, Idi Amin, Benjamin Netanyahu, John F. Kennedy, Barack Obama, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Omar Al-Bashir, Fidel Castro, Boris Johnson, Bill Clinton, Saddam Hussein, Haile Selassie, Jorge Rafael Videla, Pervez Musharraf, Muhammad Ayub Khan, Augusto Pinochet, Than Shwe, Kim Jong-un, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Muammar Gaddafi, Jean-Bédel Bokassa, etc