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Michael
Michael
@mdstamper.bsky.social
4 months ago
In this vertical head-and-shoulders self-portrait, a light brown–skinned Mona al-Kasabi (منى القصبي) faces us directly against a hazy background of blended cream, yellow, and pale blue strokes. Her straight chestnut hair falls in a smooth, layered blowout around the face to her shoulders before dissolving into the surrounding paint. Her large almond-shaped dark eyes are framed by heavy black liner and long lashes. They hold a steady, frontal gaze beneath high arched brown brows. Her nose is straight and narrow, and her full lips, painted a muted rose pink, rest in a closed, neutral expression. A low scooped neckline is only lightly indicated in pinks that merge with the textured field. At the lower left, a long-haired gray-and-white cat with pointed ears, a small dark nose, and bright green eyes looks out toward us. Its soft fur is rendered in feathery strokes that echo the loose, swirling background. Al-Kasabi’s self-portrait asserts a woman’s presence in a Saudi art scene that, when this was painted, offered few public images of women by women themselves. The steady gaze, styled hair, and precise makeup echo popular ideals of beauty, yet the dissolving background and barely defined neckline hint at a more fragile, interior self. The cat is more than a pet. Its bright green eyes mirror the artist’s stare, turning it into a double or confidant that shares her alertness. Commentators link this canvas to a small series of self-portraits in which al-Kasabi repeats the cat as an alter ego and a sign of independence, curiosity, and quiet defiance. Beyond the her painting prowess, Al-Kasabi’s founding of the Saudi Center for Fine Arts in Jeddah has nurtured generations of artists, so this image also reads as a claim to artistic authority as an Arab woman picturing herself as both subject and maker of culture.

In this vertical head-and-shoulders self-portrait, a light brown–skinned Mona al-Kasabi (منى القصبي) faces us directly against a hazy background of blended cream, yellow, and pale blue strokes. Her straight chestnut hair falls in a smooth, layered blowout around the face to her shoulders before dissolving into the surrounding paint. Her large almond-shaped dark eyes are framed by heavy black liner and long lashes. They hold a steady, frontal gaze beneath high arched brown brows. Her nose is straight and narrow, and her full lips, painted a muted rose pink, rest in a closed, neutral expression. A low scooped neckline is only lightly indicated in pinks that merge with the textured field. At the lower left, a long-haired gray-and-white cat with pointed ears, a small dark nose, and bright green eyes looks out toward us. Its soft fur is rendered in feathery strokes that echo the loose, swirling background. Al-Kasabi’s self-portrait asserts a woman’s presence in a Saudi art scene that, when this was painted, offered few public images of women by women themselves. The steady gaze, styled hair, and precise makeup echo popular ideals of beauty, yet the dissolving background and barely defined neckline hint at a more fragile, interior self. The cat is more than a pet. Its bright green eyes mirror the artist’s stare, turning it into a double or confidant that shares her alertness. Commentators link this canvas to a small series of self-portraits in which al-Kasabi repeats the cat as an alter ego and a sign of independence, curiosity, and quiet defiance. Beyond the her painting prowess, Al-Kasabi’s founding of the Saudi Center for Fine Arts in Jeddah has nurtured generations of artists, so this image also reads as a claim to artistic authority as an Arab woman picturing herself as both subject and maker of culture.

“Self-portrait #1” by Mona al-Kasabi (Saudi Arabian) - Painting on canvas / Late 1980s - Private collection (Saudi Arabia) #WomenInArt #MonaAlKasabi #منى_عبدالله_القصبي #AlKasabi #SaudiArt #SaudiArtist #SelfPortrait #BlueskyArt #ArabWomenArtists #art #artText #WomanArtist #WomensArt #WomenArtists

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