In episode 23, Art Worlds meets artist and academic Huda Lutfi who integrates her specialism in Islamic culture and history with her multimedia practice. Having taught at the American University of Cairo, her work is suffused with historical references, including symbols from Pharaonic and Coptic cultures, that are recontextualised to highlight Egypt’s contemporary social and political issues. Female archetypes, like the image of the iconic singer Umm Kulthum along with found mannequin parts, often overlaid with Sufi calligraphic text, question gender roles in a patriarchal society. Lutfi’s work is internationally renowned and can be found in the collections of the Barjeel Art Foundation, British Museum, Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts and Los Angeles County Museum of Art, among others. Huda joined me from her studio in Cairo to discuss her work and Egypt’s art history. 

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