Jodie Bateman

Winning bodies of work

My Hijab Has A Voice: Revisited is a series of bold self-portraits with the occasional portrait. This project is an urgent yet necessary investigation into the experience of Muslim women from an autobiographical perspective. It is vital to listen to Muslim women’s voices as they are often silenced and spoken for by men. The freedom to express a woman’s perspective from their own point of view is crucial. 

Due to a lack of authentic voices being heard, negative stigmas and stereotypes surrounding Muslim women are perpetuated in the media. Often, they are seen to only wear black, and are portrayed as ‘old fashioned’ or ‘backwards’ for choosing to cover their bodies. Western society continuously feeds the stereotype of oppression, which is typically followed by acts of banning the niqab, burkini and even going to the lengths of banning the hijab in professional places in some countries.

This series challenges society to see Muslim women differently, by inviting viewers into a Muslim women’s private space in order humanise them. The artist takes inspiration from historical paintings, famous for their objectification of women. She poses herself and her models to mimic the mannerisms and gestures of the paintings, but challenges these conventions by having the subjects fully clothed and looking directly back at the viewer — thereby confronting the audience and outdated stereotypes.

My Hijab Has A Voice: Revisited