Awdhah Alotaibi

Awdhah Alotaibi’s doctoral research examines the symbolic representation of the female body in Kuwaiti resistance art created during and after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait (1990–1991). Her study addresses a significant gap in scholarship by examining how Kuwaiti painters, both past and present, portray women in the context of trauma, national identity, and collective resistance.

Despite the production of resistance artworks continuing more than three decades after the invasion, little academic attention has been paid to their visual language, especially in relation to female figures. Awdhah explores how painting in Kuwait has functioned not only as an artistic response but also as a powerful tool of cultural memory, political expression, and gendered resistance.

This research brings Kuwaiti art into broader global conversations about war and resistance painting, connecting it with examples from Palestine, Iran, and Europe. It sheds light on how female bodies in art are used to signify strength, sacrifice, and identity under oppressive conditions.

Names of Supervisors:

• Helen Gorrill
• Pernille Spence