Najaax Harun
Fresh Meat, 2024

“There is a well-known Somali saying I grew up hearing: “Jidh dumar wa hilib bisil,” meaning “a woman’s body is like fresh meat.” This phrase was often spoken as a warning, suggesting that when I ventured out, I was akin to fresh meat among predators. In darker moments, it served as the final justification for harm inflicted on women—implying that the fault lay with her. How could she have been alone when the harm occurred? What was she doing there? Didn’t she know she was fresh meat, walking unguarded? This saying reflects the deep-seated victim-blaming embedded in cultural narratives that hold women accountable for harm done to them based on their gender, beauty or social standing.”

This work was acquired into the permanent collection of the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, by the generous gift of Beth Rudin Dewoody.