Sara El Assaad is an artist caught between contrasting ideas of sensuality from her Middle Eastern heritage and Western culture. Her paintings depict veiled female figures draped to different extents, representing breaking cultural boundaries while remaining within social norms. The focus is on the body and what it represents rather than individual identity. The figures suggest a progression from mostly veiled to almost nude, with hints of what is used to drape them, as a way to depict a subject not fully embracing one side of her cultural background nor the other.

1. UNVEILED
Sara El Assaad

2. ARTIST STATEMENT
v I am caught between two contrasting ideas of sensuality. On one hand, I see
the covert sensuality that is reflective of my Middle Eastern heritage. This
sensuality lies within the importance of love and familial ties, in keeping with
the values of a traditional Middle Eastern family. It also lies within the realm of
Islamic religion and history. Although Islam was never pushed on me, it is
something I have grown to appreciate. On the other hand, I see a more overt
sensuality that permeates Western culture. Because I grew up in both Europe
and the United States, the idea that clothing that exposed skin was taboo or
otherwise outside of the social norm never occurred to me until recently. It is
the contrast of these two perspectives on sensuality that I try to capture in
these works.

3. v My focus on these paintings is not on the face and who the person may
be, but is instead focused on the body and what it may represent to someone.
The figures are all draped to a certain extent, giving a sense that they both
want to express their sensuality while simultaneously remaining within the
parameters of their culture’s social norms. The sequence in which they were
painted goes from mostly veiled to almost completely nude, with hints of
what is used to drape them. This was done to suggest that the female figure
is breaking cultural boundaries as the series progresses. The subject of the
paintings does not fully let go of one side of her cultural background,
neither does she fully embrace another side of her background. She is a
product of her upbringing in the same way that I and everyone else is.

4. Oil on Canvas
60”x72”

5. Oil on Canvas
33”x50”

6. Oil on Canvas
22”x26”

7. Oil on Canvas
22”x28”

8. Oil on Canvas
30”x40”

9. Oil on Canvas
40”x32”