“Around 2300 BCE, on the banks of the Euphrates river in ancient Mesopotamia, Enheduanna, a Princess and Priestess, signed her name to a hymn in devotion to Innana, Goddess of sex, war, justice, and political power. In doing so, Enheduanna became the first known author to sign their name to a piece of work, declaring herself the creator of this composition which she brought into the world. With this zine, we pay tribute to Enheduanna who boldly declared with every piece she signed: I, Enheduanna, brought this creation from nothing into something beautiful to share.”
I, Enheduanna was founded in 2020 as a means to reconnect artists across time and space during an era of loneliness sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic. In creating a new zine dedicated to feminine and nonbinary artists, we hope to shine a light on perspectives that are often buried beneath the entrenched value systems of our culture which reward toxic masculinity, gender oppression, whiteness, and capital above connection and creativity. At I, Enheduanna, we are striving to build a space for voices that should be heard and creativity which connects artists across social and geographic boundaries.
The title of the magazine and its ethos were inspired by the 2015 documentary series, The Ascent of Woman, written and presented by Dr. Amanda Foreman. In the series, Dr. Foreman presents a masterfully curated set of stories focused on the historic accomplishments of women from cultures all over the world, dating from the earliest archeological records up to modern day. You can learn more about Enheduanna in the video below and find more information about the full documentary here.