The exhibition will go on display at the gallery from the 7th October until the 14th February 2027.
The Whitechapel Gallery has announced a major exhibition celebrating the career of one of the most important Egyptian artists of the 20th century: Inji Efflatoun (1924 – 1989 Cairo, Egypt).
A feminist and political dissident, Efflatoun regarded art as a powerful tool for social engagement and political expression, and her activism and artistic practice were deeply entwined. This exhibition will bring together key artworks she created throughout her career including the acclaimed series made while she was imprisoned during the early 1960s, alongside works on paper and rare archival documents and photographs.
Efflatoun began painting early, and as a teenager was mentored by the revolutionary artist and filmmaker Kamel El-Telmissany. He was one of the founders of the radical left-wing Egyptian Surrealists movement, ‘Art and Liberty’ (Art et Liberté), which Efflatoun also joined. She was the youngest artist to take part in the group exhibition Art & Liberty held in Cairo in 1942, with her evocative painting Young Girl and Monster (1941). Efflatoun’s works from this period are characterised by unworldly landscapes, dreamlike imagery, psychological intensity and rebellious energy. The exhibition at Whitechapel Gallery will include examples of these early works.
In the 1940’s and 1950’s Efflatoun became a leading voice for progressive feminism in Egypt. She was one of the first women to study in the arts department of the University of Cairo, and in 1945 was among the founders of the ‘Ligue des jeunes femmes des universités et des instituts’ (League of young women in universities and institutes), which promoted left-wing, anti-colonialist politics and campaigned for gender equality.
Meanwhile, she was arrested in 1959 by President Nasser’s regime for her political activism and remained imprisoned for more than four years. Despite severe restrictions, she continued to paint while in prison and the exhibition at Whitechapel Gallery features key paintings and drawings from this period including Dreams of a Detainee (1961) as well as a series of intimate black and white sketches.
After her release in 1963, the artist changed her focus on the fecundity of the natural world and rural communities. She continued to represent peoples and cultures largely absent from mainstream narratives, including agricultural labourers, fishermen and working women.
The aim of this exhibition is to bring together the artistic, personal and political sides of Efflatoun’s work and life, showcasing her development as an artist and political activist across five decades.
To find out more visit: https://www.whitechapelgallery.org/exhibitions/inji-efflatoun-the-poetics-of-justice/