SHE
mixed media on unprimed canvas, 45 x 40 cm

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This red thread sewing each step in our lives,

Surrounded with love and warmth,

Layered in red and tenderness.

Forms beautiful strong land.

The door to the higher divine is open,

He selects us, we are His preference,

To be his partner in creation and birth,

We walk the path leaving our marks of achievements and,

Worship the way of victory and wisdom for the successors,

And in the heart of all, occurs that feminine petal;

SHE is the essence of life.

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This abstract work inspired by the theme of Fatat Al Arab, the great poet of the gulf and Arab world. The artist wants to emphasize on the strength and determination of the Arab women, the same way the great poet did. Despite their society’s limitations and restrictions, Arab women, have had the power to explore any aspect in life in all times. She wants to show through this mixed media work, the depth of women’s emotions, strength, and passion. By using the geotextile- fabric she focuses on their ability to absorb and transform all difficulties into valuable outcome, the same way the color soaks in the fabric and alters into beautiful shapes and forms, that give the perfect frame for their existence. The stitched square resembles the persistence of their hearts; our women don’t accept failure they keep walking towards their aims and engrave their steps for next generations of women, the same way the stitches go around the square. Women's lives in the Arab world are all connected into evolutionary path from one generation to another. Part of the top line or the square is kept without stitching to hint the belief in destiny and God’s will, which plays a big role in our psyche and the way we approach life, believing and surrendering to our faith is part of our resistance and motivation to bring out wisdom and patience from every difficulty we experience. The texture and petals in the middle represent how women embrace their roles, as mothers and daughters, naturally and in a very organic way, while holding on to their femininity, and show wisdom and worth over their lifespan. Finally, the color used represents the heart, love, and blood running in our veins which nurture us and our babies and warmth the whole existence. There is no life without her. SHE is the partner of the creator. The only tools to execute this work was the artist's hands, no brush nor knife palette.

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Rima MOUKAHAL

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Rima Moukahal is a self-taught artist. Her fascination with colour and painting started at a young age. As a pupil at the Italian Girls’ School in Beirut, she was awarded a trip to Italy to study drawing in the summer of 1975. With the arrival of the Lebanese civil war, her dream to become an artist collapsed. After a long career in the corporate world, she decided to return to her passion. Rima pursued intensive private courses in drawing and painting, mentored and guided by prominent Arab artists in Cairo, Beirut and Dubai.

Rima’s practice is rooted in Abstract Expressionism, inspired by her emotional response to collective life experiences. When creating, she trusts intuition to guide her completely through an unplanned inner spiritual journey. Rima is a member of Tashkeel.