Arab Women's Revolutionary Art

Nevine El Nossery is Associate Professor in the Department of French and Italian at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her expertise extends to Francophone and postcolonial studies, women’s writing, art and politics. She is the author of Egypt in Focus: Creativity in Adversarial Contexts (co-edited volume, 2021); The Unspeakable: Representations of Trauma in Francophone Literature and Art (co-edited volume, 2013); Frictions et devenirs dans les écritures migrantes au féminin (co-edited volume, 2012); and Témoignages fictionnels au féminin. Une réécriture des blancs de la guerre civile algérienne (2012).

“El Nossery’s work makes a valuable contribution to the study of artivism and the creative resistance of Arab women and makes a welcome contribution … . She highlights the complexities of their experiences, shedding light on how cultural, political, and social dynamics in the region shape their artistic expressions. In sum, El Nossery amplifies the narratives of those who are often marginalized, making her work an essential addition to the broader discussion of contemporary Arab art and activism.” (Noha Mellor, International Journal of Communication, Vol. 19, 2025)

• Chapter 1. Introduction.- Part I Visualizing the Revolution.- Chapter 2. Bahia Shehab: The (In)visible Cairo Street Artist.- Chapter 3. Identity and Memory in Héla Ammar’s Photo-Embroidery.- Part II Performing the Revolution.- Chapter 4. When Women’s Bodies Speak in Public.- Chapter 5. Comics Against Taboos in Morocco.- Part III Writing The Revolution.- Chapter 6. Kaouther Adimi’s Palimpsest of Revolutionary Histories.- Chapter 7. Revolutionary Art in Nomadic Spaces.- Chapter 8. Conclusion./