AZRAA MOTALA

Born in 1996, Azraa Motala is a visual artist from Preston, England. Her work takes a dominant-autobiographical stance, both conceptual yet representational, redefining the definition placed upon her within the parameters of culturally inherited expectations and the contemporary Western space. She positions the multi-layered identity she embodies, against the limiting social and political lens she finds herself viewed though as a Muslim women. Empowering and uplifting South Asian and Muslim women, whilst touching upon the mutual struggles of many second and third generation immigrants.

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Her work places contemporary narratives into paintings using historical semiotics through figurative posturing, tenebrism and the context of 18th and 19th century Orientalist paintings to re-appropriate the image of the Eastern woman.