SUDAN - Iman Shaggag (b.1970) is a very sensitive, spiritual painter making her U.S. debut with this exhibition. Her minimal lines and muted colors pack a hard punch to the heart and eyes. She painted this series about women in difficult situations, having almost no hope or options in life. This is only part of the situation in which Sudanese women find themselves as they struggle with war, bad economic circumstances, poor health, education and social problems. Most of these women were brought up with the idea that they don’t have lots of options because of their gender, and must always rely on someone else to make decisions for them. In Revolution I and II we see truncated women, womb-like in their pods underground, waiting to be birthed … a sad commentary on the servile conditions women still face in so much of the world. Iman told me that women, armed with hope and determination, will be the next revolution in Sudan, “I imagine that they will grow out of their bulbs when they are ready, and when they acquire the right tools and experience.” In Growing II, there seems to be even more hope, the colors are warmer and the women no longer trapped in the bulbs. Growing, in and of itself, epitomizes progress. Feeling Blue has the essence of loneliness in its simplicity and dark color use, yet the harmony of the colors and undulating lines also give the viewer a sense of sadness, “a settled sadness of wanting and needing peace that does not go away.” War, on the other hand, shows women in turmoil, one even upside down! While women, especially in Sudan, have nothing to do with war, as they are not in the governmental decision-making arena, they are always the victims of war. Still, there is a ray of hope as one’s eye passes across the canvas to the sliver of growth on the right hand side. Hijab, perhaps the most controversial piece in the exhibition, shows the naked backside of a woman donning only the reverential head covering, a requirement of the Islamic code. The use of dark colors, the beautiful magenta and the turned back make this a truly elegant protest against female discrimination. The other side of the free standing piece shows the woman’s shadow...hesitating to comply, and the black circle on the floor serves as the anchor. In Iman’s words, “This body of work is about protesting self-censorship and all forms of censorship, while expressing my dreams and wishes for a better life for women, particularly Sudanese women.”