Enheduanna, 2023

FIRE, WATERCOLOUR, INK, TIMBER
46.7 x 31.6 x 3 cm

Enheduanna is my creative interpretation of the world’s first known author. Contrary to the common assumption that this figure would be Homer or any other male writer from antiquity, or even Sapho who lived a thousand years later, the earliest identifiable author is Enheduanna (2285BC), the Mesopotamian high priestess of Ur (El-Muqayyar, Iraq). Enheduanna is widely recognised as the first named author in recorded history and is credited with composing some of the earliest surviving works of literature and poetry.

Her work was written in the first person, with Enheduanna herself as the narrator, making her one of the first figures to leave a personal literary voice. Her legacy is not only one of literary achievement but also one of culture, as she helped shape the spiritual and intellectual landscape of Mesopotamian civilisation.

Previous
Previous

Nisaba, 2024

Next
Next

We Are Stardust, 2013