HINDIYA Al-ASHEPY

Benghazi- Libyan women painters address women’s issues in their painting in order to raise awareness about women’s rights. They aim to shed light on women’s role in the development of society through their paintings that reflect the social reality experienced by Libyan women.

Fadwa Abu Bakr is a university student and a visual artist from the city of Sirte. Her journey with art started when she was a child; she had difficulties in reading and writing so she expressed her feelings by drawing and painting. When her family discovered her talent, they supported her.

So far, she has participated in several exhibitions, the first one was in 2019. She has also participated in several local painting competitions and won several awards. She addresses women’s issues through her paintings. “Through my paintings, I address customs and traditions that limit the freedom of Libyan women and deprive them of their rights such as their right to inheritance.”

She started painting to escape from the reality of war

Fatima Al-Zahraa Ayman Mahmoud (22) is a student at the Faculty of Information Technology, University of Benghazi. She started drawing during the Libyan Civil War in 2011 to escape from the reality of the war and the sounds of bombs and explosions. In 2014, her family moved to Cairo and she attended a painting course in Cairo to be a professional painter.

‘I paint what women have difficult to put into words’

Fatima Al-Zahraa Ayman Mahmoud uses different materials such as pencil, charcoal and colors. “Drawing is a skill that anyone can learn. But you need training and work hard to learn it. I dream of preparing a coloring book for children to give information about the most important and famous archaeological and cultural monuments in Libya,” said the young painter, who has participated in more than six exhibitions until now. Through her paintings, she addresses many social issues.