ARE THE GATES OF PARADISE NOT OPEN? | MAÏMOUNA GUERRESI

“Are the gates of Paradise not open?”
The title reveals the practice of Maïmouna Guerresi, an Italian-Senegalese artist deeply connected to the religious and spiritual sphere. Her works are articulated in photographs, sculptures, and site-specific installations.
The central element in Guerresi’s work is the female figure: the protagonists of her artworks are mainly African Muslim women wearing the hijab, often depicted in suspended, floating poses. This quest for lightness pertains solely to the formal aspect, as the attitude and pose of the charismatic subjects convey a conscious pride. This same pride interprets the veil as a religious element valued for its spiritual dimension.

Are the gates of Paradise not open? is a diptych created in 2022. The artwork consists of two female busts of pristine white, made of resin and hung side by side, making the two figures appear suspended, floating in an ethereal dimension.
What contrasts with the overall lightness is the evident lack of body parts, including half of the face, which, however, does not diminish but rather enhances the expressiveness of the figures.
A refined work of subtraction which focuses and highlights a gestuality represented in a technically precise and elaborate manner.
Both busts rest one hand on their abdomen; the one on the left places the other hand on its chest, while the one on the right uses it to point to the sky. The two faces, although incomplete with only chins and lips, are turned towards each other.
The conversation is silent, relying solely on gestures, and seems to want to continue the argument anticipated by the title: by pointing her finger towards the sky, the woman on the right seems to want to direct the viewer’s attention to Paradise; with their palms resting on their bodies, both figures indicate their own interiority, as if to emphasize their spiritual involvement.

Guerresi’s visual language is delicate and, at the same time, intense and engaging. The levitating female bodies convey a sense of suspension, and the artist’s intent is precisely to elevate these women, both physically and spiritually.
Their poses draw from classical art, from how the Madonna has historically been represented. Are the gates of Paradise not open? performs an important mediation, seeking common ground between historically contrasting religions, which is why Guerresi’s women are universal and timeless characters.

Maïmouna Guerresi
Are the gates of Paradise not open?, 2022
Resin. Diptych, 81.3 x 144.8 x 22.9 cm (32 x 57 x 9 in).
© Maïmouna Guerresi. Courtesy of Mariane Ibrahim [Chicago, Paris, Mexico City].

20/07/24