The body and its sexuality belong to an intimate sphere that is delineated in endless facets and nuances. Sex, nudity, acceptance, sexual orientation, and a sense of freedom are some of the macro issues that many people have to deal with in the course of their lives. This “private” aspect is often hidden, silenced and in some cases repressed and stifled, if not even conditioned from the outside. The works of Canadian artist Nadine Faraj (1977) scream against this. Against deprivation and denial. Against the external control of the body, to return ownership solely and exclusively to those who inhabit it.
The people in Faraj’s watercolor works proudly and proudly exhibit their nudity during erotic, sexual and rebellious moments with an almost disturbing force. “Nadine Faraj’s art disturbs the eye and demands disobedience,” comments feminist author Mona Eltahawy.
Nadine Faraj makes works that are free, funny and raw at the same time. The style is fluid and colorful. The figures gain movement thanks to the watercolor technique that leaves the edges free, allowing the bodies to incorporate with the background. The highly erotic scenes are accentuated by explicit language and the blending of the bodies in the scene, which become one, emphasizing a strong romanticism. Sexuality is addressed without taboos, without censorship, and above all without shame because the “Sex is chaos, liberation, and joy.“




In the series Naked revolt Nadine Faraj takes a strong stance, addressing human rights issues, particularly those of the LGBTQIA+ community. Each work shows a single nude subject who through an inscription on her body communicates important messages: “Mi cuerpo mi decision” – “LGBT égalité” – “My pussy my rules,” are some examples.
Her latest series, on the other hand, entitled Pink Moon people, is set in the night. The composition is horizontal and the subjects take on increasingly intense and ethereal body colorations, such as fuchsia, purple or green. The proportional imbalance is increasingly distorted, and flashes of light break up the vibrancy of the palette. Perdition becomes freedom. Denial becomes acceptance.
Nadine Faraj succeeds in shouting loudly to her audience that no one needs the approval of others and that surrendering to desires is awareness.
© Courtesy by Nadine Faraj, Anna Zorina Gallery and McBride Contemporain