Why Have There Been No Great Eastern Women Artists?

The title refers to the iconic article of Linda Nochlin “Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?” written in 1971. Since then 50 years have passed by with many changes concerning women artists’ positions in the art scene in general. Yet, it is a question which is worth to be asked from time to time just as it happened with the Magic Mirror in Walt Disney’s Snow White where the Evil Queen asked “Magic mirror in my hand, who is the fairest in the land?”. At this current online exhibition, the question to be asked is the title itself: "Why Have There Been No Great Eastern Women Artists?”. The question instead of being a continuity of the intellectual task initiated by Linda Nochlin, focuses on the market of women artists from the Eastern regions. Certainly, they are still missing their fullest potential. Being women artists and coming from non-central geographical locations such as Central Eastern Europe or the Middle East means a double challenge to them. This exhibition is one important step in giving a highlight to these artists whose works stand the challenge. Image: Mona Hatoum, 204.5 × 305 cm