In Eve’s Apple, 2023, Egyptian artist Souad Abdelrasoul transforms the narrative of femininity and strength, elevating women to the status of goddesses and reclaiming their place in history. Here, Abdelrasoul depicts a suspended naked female figure; her robust and curvy dark-skinned body floats as if weightless or reclining on her side against a luminous, blue sky. One arm rests beneath her head in a gesture of quiet introspection, while the other delicately holds a red apple near her mouth – a potent symbol of temptation and reclaimed power: Eve’s apple. The figure is enveloped in a transparent, ethereal fabric that forms a protective barrier while fully exposing her, simultaneously revealing and protecting her form. On the lower register of the canvas is a thick, grassy riverbank with a mythical two-headed dog standing guard. Inspired by the colors and flow of the Nile River, Abdelrasoul employs bold, expressive brushstrokes and a harmonious interplay of warm and cool tones to evoke a sense of vulnerability, strength, and divine femininity.

For Abdelrasoul, this work symbolizes the dilemma women face: to be free from societal pressures and rules, they must reclaim the God-like power of the apple from the Garden of Eden. This power has been overshadowed by male masculinity, represented by the Adam’s Apple – a play on words referring to the physiological feature, prominent laryngeal, in a man's throat that produces his voice. By taking back the apple that Eve once gave to Adam – an act that has since restricted her – she reclaims her place as a goddess.

Eve’s Apple, 2023, like much of Abdelrasoul's work, emerges from her experience of being a woman in the world, and her refusal to acquiesce to patriarchal demands on women’s lives. Eve’s Apple emphasizes that women do not need to prove themselves in the same ways that men do; instead, her work highlights the unique contributions women can make in their own right, through their own means and perspectives. Her art serves as both a lifeline and a mirror, reflecting the struggles of women along the Nile and capturing their emotional essence. By inviting viewers to explore their own surreal emotional worlds, Abdelrasoul celebrates the vulnerability and strength of women, urging them to embrace their authentic selves in all their fragility and power.