ARAB DOLLS at SKOUFA GALLERY (Mykonos) in collaboration CARWAN GALLERY (Beirut).

Carlo Massoud (Lebanon) presents Maya, Zeina, Racha and Yara, a new limited edition collection of sixty dolls that both captivate and challenge our traditional understanding of the veil. After the great success in Beirut at Carwan Gallery (2014) and in New York City at The Armory Show (2015), the new series made in Brushed Brass & Gold Plated Brass will re-interpetrate the classic Arab garment, which in its purest form is intended to represent modesty, has long been misconstrued and used to misrepresenting Muslim and Arab women.

The new series adapts the concept of covering and concealing to a new function, material and scale. The dolls, empty from the inside, convey a sense of discretion and mystery, all while asserting individuality even in their regimented resentation. In western media, the veil has come to symbolise or justify assumptions about gender roles in the region. Like the Arab woman, these dolls are bold and beautiful, strong and soft, evoking the emotions associated with a bullet or a thimble.

The designer aims at making a statement with these works, about the way we understand the function of objects in the Arab world and their role in sparking reflection and debate, meanwhile, paying tribute to the beauty that lies beneath the surface and challenging preconceived notions of gender roles within Arab society.

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