"Femme Fatale No.7"

2008
Charcoal & acrylic on paper
8'x10'

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"Ms. Freedom"

2008
Oil on Canvas
40'x40'

'Sold'

"Miss Liberty"

2008
Oil on Canvas
48"x36"

"Femme Fatale No. 6"

2008
Charcoal & Ink on Paper
10'x 8'

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Femme Fatale No. 5

2008
Charcoal & Ink on Paper
10"x 8"

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Femmme Fatale No.4

2008
Charcoal & Ink on Paper
11"x8"

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"Femme Fatale No.3"

2007
Oil on Canvas
30"x 24"

"Femme Fatale No.1"

2007
Oil on Canvas
24"x 16"

"Femme Fatal No.2"

2007
Oil on Canvas
24"x 16"

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.

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 road appears to be the equivalent of a mini-skirt and his hitched high to show her long slender legs. Red stiletto shoes are complement to the green of the sheet.

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

Max 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.

Enjoy the series and post your comments.

Other works of political art by Max can be seen in his Terrorists and Freedom Fighters series.

About Max Emadi

Iranian-born California Artist Max Emadi

"Max" Makan Emadi emigrated with his family to Southern California from Iran in 1979 at the age of fourteen.

While attending high school he became interested in art courses and took ceramics for four years. Following high school, he studied sculpting with Betty Davenport Ford.

Max's career took him away from art for many years. He received training and worked as a Certified Chemical Dependency Counselor and found his second passion in the helping field. He pursued his education by completing a bachelor's degree in social work and a master's degree in the same field.

After becoming established in his career as a psychotherapist he decided to revisit the artistic interests of his teenage-years. In the last few years, Max has participated in a number of group shows and been featured in several solo exhibitions. His paintings extend from abstract works to political art, and he also sculpts small ceramic busts.

Max Emadi has painted a wide range of works in oil including abstract paintings, portraits and self-portraits.

He has also painted extensive bodies of work representing political figures (Terrorists and Freedom-Fighters series) and cultural celebrities (Hero Worship series).

His most controversial series comments on "hijab", the Islamic dress code, with two series to date: Calendar Girls and Femme Fatale

Since 2002, Emadi has also produced small ceramic sculptures (Beautiful Monsters series)