Critical Discourse Studies

Critical Discourse Analysis of subversive practice in Global South artwork

Research on subversive practice and/or resistance discourse represents a vibrant area of inquiry that focuses on the strategic use of language and semiosis to challenge, subvert, or critique dominant power structures, oppressive societal norms, and established ideologies. As a form of counter-hegemonic communication, subversive practice seeks to expose exploitation, voice dissent, and create alternative perspectives, often aiming for social change and/or the protection of marginalized identities (Lilja 2022; Nartey 2023). In the last two decades, research on subversive practice has expanded considerably and has been examined in diverse context such as politics, media, environment, education, and health among others. This scholarship has discussed how marginalized groups foreground their voice and agency, negotiate and construct their identity, and articulate emancipatory discourses. It has also exposed the inequality in social structures, highlighted the grievances of oppressed groups, and demonstrated the importance of dismantling hegemonic structures and building more inclusive communities (see Ng & Lam 2020; Mwinlaaru & Nartey 2022; Pérez-Arredondo, C. & Cárdenas-Neira 2022).

Despite the value of the existing studies on subversive practice, a key site that has received limited attention is artwork. Consequently, an examination of subversive practice in artwork is necessary to extend work on resistance discourses and provide a more comprehensive understanding of this field of inquiry. Beyond its aesthetic, expressive, and therapeutic functions, art can act as a mechanism for social change, giving voice to marginalized groups and challenging societal norms by invoking emotional, visual, and symbolic discourses to protest conditions and advocate for justice (Annet 2025). In other words, art can be grounded in the act of ‘doing’ to address sociopolitical issues, making art a rich site for critical discursive work on subversive practice. To address the aforementioned gap in the literature, the current Special Issue sets out to critically examine subversive practice in Global South artwork.

In recent decades, artwork from the Global South has been recognized not only for its aesthetic value, but also for its potent subversive capacity to challenge dominant sociopolitical, economic, and cultural discourses (Rauf & Azhar 2026). This Special Issue aims to explore the intersections of language, power, and ideology within Global South artwork through the lens of critical discourse analysis (CDA). By examining subversive practices embedded in visual, performative, and multimedia art forms, this issue will highlight how artists from historically marginalized regions resist and reframe hegemonic narratives, formulate alternative worldviews, and foreground their voice and agency. While the Global South has a rich tradition of artistic expressions that confront colonial legacies, neoliberal globalization, and socio-political oppression, scholarly attention to the discursive mechanisms through which such artwork enact subversion remains limited. This Special Issue responds to this research gap by inviting interdisciplinary contributions that apply CDA frameworks to analyze how Global South artwork function as sites of resistance and social transformation.

The research articles in this issue will analyze diverse artwork while taking a decolonial approach to CDA. They will also draw on a variety of data (e.g. painting, drawing, dance, mural, graffiti, photography, storytelling, cartoons, collage, photovoice, stage performance, interventions in public spaces, performance art, street art, feminist art, installation art, etc.) to illustrate how artwork in the Global South are strategically deployed to oppose dominant structures of power and knowledge, disrupt the normative order, question established beliefs, practices, or institutions and create or articulate alternative perspectives, truths, or understandings. Specifically, articles will be expected to employ varied CDA approaches such as the socio-semantic/social actors approach, multimodal CDA, feminist CDA, social media CDA, critical metaphor analysis, and  critical technocultural discourse analysis among others. The issue will help reveal, develop, and bring into focus the following:

a.     trends in critical cultural discourse analysis in the examination of protest art

b.     culturally specific linguistic/semiotic trends in activist/protest art

c.     construction of sociocultural identities in artwork

d.     subaltern perspectives on cultural imperialism

e.     the reimagination of artwork in public places

Adopting a critical orientation to artwork, the papers in the issue will explore topics, including but not limited to the following:

• ·       Comparative studies of subversive practice in artwork in different Global South countries
• ·       The interplay of art, memory, and sociopolitical activism
• ·       Subversive iconography and symbolism in artwork
• ·       Legitimation and delegitimation in artwork
• ·       Voice, agency, and resistance in artwork
• ·       Gender, power, and ideology in artwork
• ·       Artwork as an empowering artifact
• ·       Resistance strategies in artwork
• ·       Artwork and social movements
• ·       Body as resistance