This article is my view mainly discusses about the representation and misrepresentation of women in Ethiopian fine arts as well as their involvements through the process of making arts. This misrepresentation of women role in arts created a discrimination against women in economical, socio-cultural and political participation among the society. Even some women representations in many paintings are for the sake of ‘men’s businesses. The feminist author Irigaray discussed on her book ‘women on the market’ mentioned that women are co-modified as object for men business among the society. My inspiration is also the Irigaray’s idea of feminism and concept of women body co-modification in all the way through the society. Based on her idea of gender discrimination, I will try to explore about the positive and negative depiction of women in world art history as well as Ethiopian arts and artists’ way of gender based views. Some people may argue that such representations are common in male depictions through fine arts but my point is regarding on the majorities of the fine art works in Ethiopia miss representations.
Representation in art is not simply a matter of drawing or painting, rather it reflects the society’s perspective against women or gender based discrimination in all aspects. As Irigaray discussed, the patriarchal society dominated the fundamental positions and power. This leads to facilitate easily women’s role on the market for the function of keeping their position.
The portrayal of this kind of representation in not limited in Ethiopia; but it was very common in world art history and African indigenous arts. In the world art history and modern art isms and famous artists are males. But in the 17th edition of world art history only one female artist mentioned (Ulusoy, 1999). Most of the men commissioned art works desires are nude female body to hang around their personal rooms. The feminist writer Nwaford wrote as (women as objects of male gaze in some works of Nigerian artists, at Nnemdi Azikiwe university) that the desire of women nude body is beyond the aesthetical value, it is a matter of sexual aspiration.
Women representation in the world art history
The world art history and creativities were written and dominated by male artists. Lacy on her article living art: writing on performance politics publics in 2010 at duke universitypress that the 20th century
art movement started to deconstruct these kinds of trend to create equal opportunity for women.
The European renaissance paintings are highly realistic and nude paintings. Painters like Michel Angelo, Leonardo Da Vinci and Raphael’s paintings are an example for this exaggeration of women body as a sexualized cotraposto composition.
Aronson wrote about these titled as Gender and South African art at Colman African studies center in 1991 from the art historian perspective. She expressed that the woman participated art works had small attention on the market. Women based African arts transaction system and market values were limited around the community not for the international market. Pottery and clay making arts are specified for female; on the reverse metal works and sculptures are assigned for male according to her.
Similarly, Most Ethiopian pottery makers, basket workers, and craft activities are permitted primarily for women. This indicates that the social categories of male and female role in Ethiopian indigenous and modern arts are categorized based on gender classification. Female are disadvantaged group when measure according to its price and accessibility on the market. This is not a matter of skill about the division of art works between men and women, but is it socially constructed gender based task.
In most African countries culture art not a profession that allowed for women but the household services and house activities only preserved for female. Comparatively from African county’s artists, Ethiopian modern artists born abroad are achieving successfully like Julie Mehretu and Aida Muluneh as Alicia made a documentary about African women artists in 2011.
Ethiopian art and gender based discrimination
The Ethiopian art history emerged from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church iconographies. Most of the well-known Ethiopian indigenous artists are iconography painters like Kess Adamu. Almost all iconography painters in Ethiopian iconography paintings were male painters, priests or debeteras from the previous experiences. But currently a number of female iconography painters are emerging in some chuchrches and monasties. Due to this the participation of female artistes was very limited in the church and outside the church.
The history of European modern art in Ethiopia started after the opening of Addis Ababa Fine Arts School in 1957
As we see on the above women on the painting represented highly exaggerated body structure around there posterior. This is deliberately emphasized body structure to attract the men’s attention. These kinds of paintings are common currently in Ethiopian arts in many exhibitions. Ethiopian well known women depicted positively in most paintings are Etege Taytu, Etege Menen and former governors and officials. Except some well known female face, most female depicted on paintings depends on their beauty, sexualized female body to attract the business men or directly for market oriented purpose. by Alle Felegeselam. After the opening of modern art school, female artists have got access to learn art like Desta Hagos and Bisrat Gemechu, Embet Aweke and others. The representation of Ethiopian women in modern art was different during Haileselassie, Derg and EPRDF regimes. During the Haile Selassie regime women represented as a mother or motherland, in the Derg regime women represented as heroic character due to socialism movement and at the time of the EPRDF as a business.
I had group exhibition that held in December 2019 at Sheraton Addis Hotel. During exhibition, there were around 500 artworks displayed. Among the art works almost 85-90% of the paintings are female illustrations. The problem is not only the domination of female paintings, but an artist when I observe it, the most representations were not correct for me or misrepresented for the sake of business minded approach. Most paintings were nude body females, the European sense of beautify measurements and highly decorative art works. This is not purely the ethics of the art but it is comodifying of women’s body as an object through art works.
Contemporary women artists in Ethiopia
Contemporary art period is a multidimensional art activity including
fine arts, performing art, video art and photography. Even though the Ethiopian contemporary art is started and well organized after Ethiopian millennium, many influential artists are performing by raising different socio cultural, political and economical issues. Among the contemporary female artists Mehret Kebede, Helen Zeru, Marta Haile are provoked many gender based issues and discriminations against women. Those young artists provoked oppressive norms, economical and hegemonic power against women in exhibitions and performances.
Women owned art galleries, and museums in Ethiopian are emerging in the last 20 years in Addis Ababa. Lela art gallery was founded by Lilly Sahle at Torhayloch. She facilitated many art exhibitions, workshops and art projects for women artists including from east Africa regional artists for the last 2 decades.
The second female owned art gallery is Addis Fine arts. The founders of this art gallery are Rakeb Sile and Mesay Haileleul. Due to having many experiences abroad, Rakeb and Mesay are preparing exhibitions and workshops for contemporary Ethiopian artists including female young artists. Others like Zoma contemporary art center is also women owned art village founded by Meskerem Aseged. The availability of women owned fine art centers tries to create access for women artists. The availability of empowered women artists helps to deconstruct irrelevant boundaries between men and women in the society as well as in art sectors.
Finally my recommendations to empower women artists and to create equal access with men needs to consider the following points; first Women owned arts villages, museums, art galleries and performance stages should be promoted to increase the number of women artists. Second, encourage women artists to be active participant in fine arts and thirdly deconstructing the socially constructed oppressive traditions against women artists.
The Ethiopian Herald May 1/2020
BY MIHIRETU WASSIE
