Islamic Erotica

The “Islamic Erotica” series was begun in 2002, following the infamous events of September 11th. In the following weeks and months, I started to feel my “otherness” once again, recalling my feelings from 1979 when my family immigrated to the United States from Iran. The familiar sting reminded me of how I felt as a fourteen- year old entering high school in California without a mastery of the English language, and only days after my countrymen had found it necessary to take a number of hostages from my newly-adopted land’s U. S. embassy. These periods in history, I suspect, made many Iranians feel similarly complicated emotions in our new “western” homes. I was almost ready to address my cultural conflicts through my art then, but it was not until Bush declared war on Iraq that my feelings actually boiled over!

As an atheist, I had always been critical of the state of my home country and the other theocracies of the world. However, I was not entirely a western convert either. Just because I hated the Iranian government more, I was not blind to the hypocrisies and travesties carried out by imperialists in the name of democracy.

In this series, I wanted to examine gender issues from both sides of the aisle. By combining the seemingly contradictory images of Islamic dress and American pinup art, we see a nightmarish vision of a possible future in the Middle East, as globalization and American and European democracy attempt to dominate while fundamentalist traditions hold fast in the region.

Sexism exists in all societies. The sexism of the East is direct. It is most apparent in its mandated repressive female clothing and legal and cultural restrictions on women’s freedom. Here, the double-standard between men and women cannot be denied. Perhaps the West objectifies women more “lovingly”. The traditional art of this culture exalts the “weaker sex,” though with a constant emphasis on her sexuality and little else. Overexposure and the unnatural poses of the female models are most clearly evident in modern advertising, entertainment media, and in the traditional pinup art of the 1940s and 50s. My work juxtaposes these two very different, but related, representations of the female.

I have been criticized by feminists and Muslims alike, but I believe my work supports the positions of both of them! After all, isn’t it true that erotic art, as a tool of sexism in a culture that objectifies women sexually, should really empower women who live in a culture that strips them of their sexuality and the power it brings? A type of image that, in secular societies, has been reduced to a pedestrian tool of commerce, titillation, and subjugation, is anything but that in a theocratic region. It may very well be a tool of revolution!

Islamic Erotica picture gallery

"Ms. Freedom"

2008
Oil on Canvas
40'x40'

'Sold'

Max Emadi's Paintings of Veiled Islamic Women as Pinup Girls Gaining Notoriety

Max's series of paintings on the Islamic dress code has been attracting a fair amount of attention of late it seems. The Arab American News posted an article on August 4th titled Are drawing and painting haraam? in which they mention Max's series of Islamic Erotica in a discussion of nudity in art. As one would expect it seems to be a big "No! No!" for strict Moslems. Same goes for strict Christians, and no doubt strict Jews, strict Hindus...

Iran Politics Club also posted a piece about Max this past August 2nd titled Max Emadi's Islamo-Erotic Paintings!

And last but not least, Max was approached recently to exhibit in a London event called "The Erotic Awards". Prints of some of his works will be exhibited at an event called "Night of the Senses" taking place in Brixton, London on the evening of September 2nd! We aren't going to link to either of the associated websites because of the explicit nature of images on both sites but you can no doubt search them down if you must. Max and I believe his works will appear rather tame in the context of what we've seen.

Read Max Emadi's comments on his Islamic Erotica series

Islamic Marilyn Monroe

After Marilyn Monroe

The photograph of Marilyn Monroe with skirt blown up from the movie "The Seven Year Itch" is one of the most well-known images of the movie goddess. In a painting after this image, Max Emadi captures an Islamic woman in traditional dress and veil in front of the mosque with her dress blown up exposing her legs.

God is Great
36 x 48 inches oil on canvas
Max Emadi 2006
(Sold)

Mirror Mirror

Veiled Woman's Eye Makeup

Max Emadi makes reference to the story of "Snow White" in this painting of a veiled Islamic woman applying her mascara in a work title "Mirror, Mirror"

Mirror, Mirror
Oil on canvas
20x24 inches
Max Emadi 2006
$900

Persian Belly Dancer

This painting of a Persian woman belly dancing doesn't feature as one of Max Emadi's Islamic Calendar Girl paintings. Perhaps she'll make next year's calendar? You don't get to see her face or much of her body as she writhes into view. Her curvaceous hips are in full swing as she works her way towards you.

Ms December Dancer's Feet

Ms. December

Let's wind up the year letting off a bit of steam with the focus on the feet of a belly dancer.

Ms November - Dancer's Cymbals

Ms. November

Max Emadi starts to turn down the volume as the year winds up. No more legs or seductive eyes in this painting; just a pair of hands of a belly dancer with her maracas.

Ms October Islamic Calendar Girl

Ms October

Ms. October doubles the stakes offering us the prospect of both sex and alcohol as she takes up her revealing pose in a martini glass.

Ms September Islamic Calendar Girl

Ms. September

Ms. September winks at us while holding cards in her hands that count to 9/11.

This painting has been sold.

Ms August Islamic Calendar Girl

Ms. August

Ms. August lies on the floor and looks back over her shoulder at us. She appears to want us to join her.

Ms July Islamic Calendar Girl

Ms. July

Ms. July lays back on a sheet in the color of Islamic green. Her black robe appears to be the equivalent of a mini-skirt and is hitched high to show her long slender legs. Red stiletto shoes are a complement to the green of the sheet.

Read Max Emadi's comments on his Islamic Erotica series

Ms June Islamic Calendar Girl

Ms June

Ms June is heavily veiled and in fact looks a little scary in her veil. However she appears to be quite welcoming with her robe drawn aside revealing her naked body beneath.

Ms May Islamic Calendar Girl

Ms. May

Ms. May dressed in blace on a pink background hitches her robe to display her long slender legs and stiletto shoes.

Ms April Islamic Calendar Girl

Ms. April

As Max Emadi moves through the calendar he appears to become bolder. Having lifted the veil, he's now lifting the robe as well.

Ms. April appears naked except for her veil in fact.

Ms March Islamic Calendar Girl

Ms. March

The eyes say it all. Although a woman might be veiled, the power of her gaze can't be denied. If that's all that's left for her to communicate her interest or desire, the more powerful they can become.

Ms. February Islamic Calendar Girl

Ms. February

A veiled and robed Islamic woman stands against the wind staring us down.

Ms. January Islamic Calendar Girl

Ms. January

Max Emadi begins his Islamic Calendar Girl series at an easy pace. Nothing particularly erotic here. The woman's face is decorated with medalions and beads, and her eyes sparkle.

Islamic Women as Pinup Girls

Makan Emadi's recent art always packs a punch or pokes a stick at some political figure or cultural standard. Max's "Islamic Calendar Girl" series is a provocative view of the image of Islamic women and traditional Islamic dress.

Other works of political art by Max, including a painting of President George W Bush nude, can be seen in his Terrorists and Freedom Fighters series.

Max Emadi's own commentary on the intent of his Islamic Erotica series can be read here.