Ghada AmerMy body my choice, 2021
Ghada Amer’s work addresses the ambiguous, transitory nature of the paradox that arises when searching for concrete definitions of East and West, feminine and masculine, art and craft. Recognising that women are taught to model behaviours and traits shaped by others, and that art history and the history of painting in particular are shaped largely by expressions of masculinity, Amer’s work actively subverts these frameworks through aesthetics and content. Her practice explores the complicated nature of identity as it is developed through cultural and religious norms as well as personal longings and understandings of the self.
Since 1997, Amer has widened her artistic practice by creating gardens in outdoor, public spaces. She has conceived, drawn, and built gardens in a range of locations across several continents, most recently in France, the US (California, New York City, Colorado), Mexico, and Morocco. The inclusion of the work 'My body my choic'e in her London exhibition marked the first time that the artist had shown a garden work in the UK. Amer’s approach innovates the very genre of artistic gardens, creating a hybrid model where art, public space, and spectators merge and are transformed through a dynamic encounter.
