"Blue Jean Burqa" is a way for the viewer to think about how two very different cultures express their identity and beliefs, and how, at the same time, show what values both cultures possibly share. The color blue is valued highly in many parts of the world as being particularly symbolic of a heavenly, or sacred, nature in art. A light blue burqa is a desirable color choice among Muslim women in Afghanistan, as well as the popular color choice of the Western world's most emblematic uniform, blue jeans.
Drawing and writing on blue jeans is typically done by young people in the Western world just as they are beginning to question their individual identity and are seeking to express it. Secondly, calligraphy, the art of letters, is a highly developed art form in the Muslim world.
Although young women coming of age in a strict Islamic country obviously do not have the same access to this type of self-expression, would they too be dreaming of peace inside the burqa? |