So much of what we identify as culture is invisible to us in daily life. This is especially true when it comes to the most intangible aspects of culture such as our religious values and what we believe regarding gender differences. This piece explores these overlooked cultural and religious forces. “Baring the Burqa” is a mixed media sculpture I created from clay, fabric, and plaster bandage over wire armament. It depicts a woman draped from head to toe with a burqa, covered with bold images of semi-naked women. I found these images in mainstream fashion magazines, scanned each one, and printed them on fabric. Then, I collaged the fabric images over the entire surface of the woman’s burka. Only her eyes are visible.

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Through this provocative sculpture, I want to show how women “bear” the burden of sexism. The eastern woman’s burqa is a collage of fabric imprinted with the “bare” images of women in western magazine ads. In most cultures, society dictates what women should or should not wear. This sculpture is my observation on how we often overlook cultural similarities. It shows how women’s bodies are oppressively controlled by religious extremists and also how they are exploited as objects for economic gain.

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I struggled with creating this piece because it might be misunderstood. We are presently living in a time of great social tension between eastern and western cultural and religious differences. The recent violence in France is an example of how emotionally volatile our world is during this time of war and suspicion and fear of diversity. The sculpture is not a criticism of Muslim modesty nor of western norms for artistic nudity. I believe women have a fundamental right to dress according to their cultural and religious values. What I want to communicate through this piece is that it is important to see things from a different point of view. For example, when Westerners see women in burqas, they automatically see them as oppressed and controlled by religion. We often do not see how women are controlled by our own society’s cultural values, especially when it comes to economic exploitation. I want to continue to explore how my artwork can create an opportunity for people to see what is normally hidden in daily life. My hope is that by seeing these similarities, we can more clearly see our own shortcomings rather than harshly judging and rejecting people who are culturally and religiously different from us.

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