Hind Bint ʿUtbah: Iterations of an Imagined Portrait 

Hind Bint ʿUtbah: Iterations of an Imagined Portrait traces five evolving depictions of a historic Arab woman celebrated for asserting her autonomy and shaping early Islamic lineage. Created between 2003 and 2016, the series spans henna‑paste works, large‑scale textile prints, intimate works on paper, a black‑and‑white drawing, and a digital edition, reflecting shifts in materiality, scale, and visual strategy.
The portrait’s consistent iconography—jewelry, torch, braided hair under a sheer veil, geometric and floral Islamic ornament, Bedouin framing motifs, and Arabic calligraphy reading “Picture of a Woman… And She Is Arab”—anchors the series within Islamic visual culture. A poem attributed to Hind, inscribed along the lower right, reinforces themes of agency, pride, and cultural memory.
Through its iterative approach, the project engages feminist Islamic historiography, narrative figuration, and contemporary Middle Eastern art practice, reimagining Hind Bint ʿUtbah as a figure of intellectual, spiritual, and political significance. Works in the series include A Song from Quraish, Liver Eater, and Story of a Woman.
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Story of a Woman — Screen print on paper, 27 × 31 in., 2016. Imagined portrait of Hind Bint ʿUtbah holding a torch, framed by Islamic motifs with Arabic calligraphy.

Story of a Woman — Digital art, 2015. Imagined portrait of Hind Bint ʿUtbah holding a torch, framed by Islamic motifs with Arabic calligraphy.

هذه القطعة الفنية تقدّم هند بنت عتبة كرمز لقوة المرأة العربية واستقلاليتها، وتمنح أحفادها من النساء والرجال معنىً مضيئاً للأنوثة يرفض التبعية ويؤكد حضور المرأة كفرد فاعل في المجتمع. يظهر الطابع التقليدي للفن الإسلامي في الزخارف النباتية والهندسية وفي ملامح خط الثلث، بينما يبرز عنصر غير مألوف في الفن العربي الكلاسيكي وهو التشخيص. والتشخيص هنا ليس واقعياً، بل أقرب إلى التشخيص الزخرفي حيث تعتمد البنية البصرية على الخطوط أكثر من الظلال، وتبدو ملامح الوجه وانحناءات الجسد مثالية ومهندسة.
تظهر هند بكامل زينتها، حاملةً مشعلاً، وتنظر إلينا بنبرة تجمع بين القلق والحزن، وكأنها تستدعي استعادة مكانة الأنثى التي تراجعت عبر الزمن. ويؤطّرها إطار من الزخرفة الإسلامية التقليدية ليؤكد انتماءها للحضارة الإسلامية، ويشير إلى أن معنى الأنوثة ازداد عمقاً في ظل هذا الإرث الثقافي.
تتسم اللوحة أيضاً بحس معاصر على عدة مستويات: أولاً، احتفالية الألوان تستدعي الأغنية العربية الحديثة التي تمزج بين الكلمات الحزينة والإيقاع المبهج. ثانياً، الجمع بين التشخيص الزخرفي والزخرفة التقليدية يعكس توجهاً معاصراً في الفن العربي الحديث. ثالثاً، الخط العربي المستخدم لا يلتزم بقواعد الخط التقليدي، بل صُمّم ليحاكي خط الثلث والخط المغربي عبر خطوط محيطية تمنحه طابعاً بصرياً جديداً.

Homage to Goya — Drawing and painting on paper on panel, 2003. Prototype for the Story of a Woman series, depicting two portraits of Hind Bint ʿUtbah with calligraphy reading “Story of a Woman,” “Picture of a Woman,” and “وهي عربية.”

Homage to Goya (2003) is the original drawing that inspired the Story of a Woman series. It reimagines Hind Bint ʿUtbah in two contrasting portrayals — one clothed and idealized, the other nude and emotionally raw — echoing Goya's famous diptych of the same model. Above the left figure, the calligraphy reads "Story of a Woman”; above the right, “Picture of a Woman.” Below, the phrase "وهي عربية" (“And she is Arab”) borrows the Qur'anic convention of titling, in which surahs are followed by “and it is Meccan” or “and it is Medinan,” asserting cultural origin with sacred textual authority.
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Story of a Woman — Screen print on colored fabric, edition 7 (variable prints), 27 × 31 in., 2013. Imagined portrait of Hind Bint ʿUtbah holding a torch, framed by Islamic motifs with Arabic calligraphy.

Story of a Woman — Screen print on colored fabric, edition 7 (variable prints), 27 × 31 in., 2013. Imagined portrait of Hind Bint ʿUtbah holding a torch, framed by Islamic motifs with Arabic calligraphy.

Story of a Woman — Screen print on colored fabric, edition 7 (variable prints), 27 × 31 in., 2013. Imagined portrait of Hind Bint ʿUtbah holding a torch, framed by Islamic motifs with Arabic calligraphy.

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Story of a Woman — Screenprint on paper, 27 × 31 in., 2012, Artist's Proof. Imagined portrait of Hind Bint ʿUtbah holding a torch, framed by Islamic motifs with Arabic calligraphy.

Story of a Woman — Screenprint on fabric, 27 × 31 in., 2011, edition 4. Imagined portrait of Hind Bint ʿUtbah holding a torch, framed by Islamic motifs with Arabic calligraphy.

Story of a Woman — Screenprint with henna on silk, 27 × 31 in., 2011, edition 4. Imagined portrait of Hind Bint ʿUtbah holding a torch, framed by Islamic motifs with Arabic calligraphy.

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Liver Eater — Screenprint on paper, 18 × 24 in., 2005. Imagined portrait of Hind Bint ʿUtbah holding a torch, framed by Islamic motifs with Arabic calligraphy.

Liver Eater — Monochromatic screenprint on canvas, 26 × 30 in., 2005. Imagined portrait of Hind Bint ʿUtbah holding a torch, framed by Islamic motifs with Arabic calligraphy.

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A Song from Quraish — Screenprint with ink on raw canvas, 5 × 5 ft, 2003, edition 3 (variable prints). Imagined portrait of Hind Bint ʿUtbah holding a torch, framed by Islamic motifs with Arabic calligraphy.

A Song from Quraish — Screenprint with henna on raw canvas, 5 × 5 ft, 2003, edition 3 (variable prints). Imagined portrait of Hind Bint ʿUtbah holding a torch, framed by Islamic motifs with Arabic calligraphy.

A Song from Quraish — Screenprint with ink on dyed canvas, 5 × 5 ft, 2003, edition 3 (variable prints). Imagined portrait of Hind Bint ʿUtbah holding a torch, framed by Islamic motifs with Arabic calligraphy.