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Reclaiming the power of female seduction inspires Ghada Amer’s work. Amer accentuates the female forms in her work with sewn thread, creating embroidered sketches of images drawn from contemporary pornographic magazines. Amer transforms these images into portrayals of powerful, self-sufficient women in touch with their own need for pleasure. Amer has said, “I speak about women’s pleasure…Women should use this power of seduction if necessary…I wanted to take a typically feminine craft (sewing) and make of it a language with which to compete within the very masculine arena of painting.”

Born in Egypt and raised in France, Amer now lives and works in New York. Amer exhibits internationally and nationally at venues and exhibitions including: Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France (2004); Gagosian Gallery, London, England (2002); P.S. 1, New York, New York; 2000 Whitney Biennial, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Kwangju Biennale Korea 2000, Kwangju, Korea (2000); 48th International Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy (1999); Basel Art Fair, Basel, Switzerland (1998), and many others.

Ghada Amer: Naughty and Nice is curated by Raechell Smith, Director of the H&R Block Artspace at the 91����. In conjunction, the exhibition, Good Work, organized by Block Intern, Brendan Meara, features artwork by the artist assistants who contributed to the completion of Amer’s canvases during her residency in Kansas City. Good Work is on view in the Cohen Resource Room at the Artspace.

For generous support of the 2003-2004 exhibition series at the Artspace, the 91���� gratefully acknowledges the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency, and the H&R Block Foundation.