Ghada AmerThe Prince, 2025
“I don’t need a prince charming, I need equal rights” This statement stands at the crux of Ghada Amer’s painting titled ‘The Prince’ (2025). The canvas is covered with rows of multicoloured letters forming fragments of the repeated phrase across the surface. The variation of colour within each letter creates rhythm that guides the viewer’s eye across the composition. Made with cotton appliqué attached on canvas, the repetitive statement refers to the classic narrative of the ‘Prince Charming’ we find in fairytales where women are reduced to passive figures waiting to be rescued. Amer’s polemical investigation into the structures within which society deems women fit is expressed through this direct and confrontational phrase, which challenges these romanticised ideals.
