Hannan Abu Hussein

Born in Umm el-Fahem, 1972
Lives and works in Jerusalem

Hannan Abu Hussein creates a tribute to Nawal El Saadawi, whose writing and ideas have deeply influenced her and have filtered into her work. Her installation is composed of casts made of knives, and is concerned with "honor killings" and female circumcision - two themes central to the writings and political activism of El Saadawi.


Nawal El Saadawi

Born in Egypt, 1931
Lives in Cairo

The Egyptian writer, doctor, and psychiatrist Nawal El Saadawi's work centers on her opposition to the practice of female circumcision in the Arab world and in Africa. El Saadawi, a feminist and a pioneer of women's rights in Egypt and in the Arab world more generally, has published over 40 books and has served as an editor and writer for various journals. She is the founder and president of the Arab Women's Solidarity Association and of additional organizations that promote women's rights and human rights in the Arab world, and her work has earned her numerous prizes.

El Saadawi completed her medical studies in 1955, and became aware of the suffering of Egyptian women through her work as a doctor. She was appointed to several important public roles by Egypt's health and cultural authorities. In 1981, under the rule of Anwar Sadat, she was imprisoned due to her political activism. Following her release from prison, she was forced to leave Egypt when her life was threatened by Muslim fundamentalists. She returned to Egypt during the Tahrir Square Revolution, subsequently resuming her political activities.