Une histoire différente des femmes dans l’art. Le cas de l’Égypte moderne
Lecture by Nadine Atallah on March 26, 2026, between 6:00–8:00 pm. Organized by Zouina Ait Slimani at the Université Catholique de l’Ouest (UCO) Angers, France.
As part of her teaching on modern Arab art at UCO, Zouina Ait Slimani is organizing a lecture dedicated to the history of women artists in Egypt.
On this occasion, Nadine Atallah, PhD candidate from Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and Research Fellow specializing in the Middle East and North Africa at the MNAM–Centre Pompidou, will present a lecture entitled “A Different History of Women in Art: The Case of Modern Egypt.”
According to a widely shared view in Egyptian artistic and intellectual circles, the national history of modern art is not marked by discrimination between male and female artists. But where does this discourse originate? Does it reflect a historical reality? And how can such a situation be explained, especially when it appears to contradict what can be observed in most international contexts?
By examining the relationships between anti-colonial struggles, the rise of feminism, and the development of the fine arts between the 1940s and the 1960s, Nadine Atallah proposes several avenues for reflection. The lecture will introduce the work and trajectories of a generation of women artists in Egypt, while also offering methodological perspectives for research conducted in an Arab context.
