Maryam Hoseini

Secrets Between Her and Her Shadow 10

Secrets Between Her and Her Shadow 10 by Maryam Hoseini is from a series of paintings of the same title that are inspired by the story Layla and Majnun – an Arabic love story about Majnun, a 7th century Bedouin poet, and his lover, Layla. Hoseini’s compositions are visually inspired by the illustrations accompanying the Khamsa of Nizami, a manuscript of five poems, including Layla and Majnun, produced by the Persian poet Nizami in the 1590s. Unlike the original tale, Hoseini’s paintings focus entirely on Layla, any male characters are purposefully erased from this narrative.

In this particular painting Hoseini depicts three contorted female bodies against a vibrant blue background. The figures are represented geometrically, interacting with each other as if their bodies are architectural. Even though they are presented fractured and with no heads, the figures maintain a feminine sensibility reminiscent of synchronized swimmers. The artist seeks to enhance the significance of the body by presenting geometric figures stacked in multiple positions, symbolizing body-trauma and violence, as well as pleasure or erotic drama. Reflecting on the Middle East’s social structures and gender politics, she puts focus on gender division. The female figures are presented nude, unrealistically flattened and fragmented, with disembodied limbs covered in hair; their bodies echo one another, evoking a sense of intimate socializing between women.