a monograph of Rania Matar's work, published October 2009
about the bookLebanon is a country built upon dichotomies. It is a blend of cultures, poised at the intersection between the Western and the Arab world. Born in Beirut and living in the West, photographer Rania Matar is especially attuned to those dichotomies. Here she honors the lives of the women and children of Lebanon in evocative black-and-white photographs. They convey the many facets of life, acknowledging the undeniable presence of war and tragedy, yet celebrating the strength, dignity, and humanity of lives lived amidst the rubble, in refugee camps, or behind the veil. The images are universal, powerful reminders of the tender bond between a mother and child, the cheerful camaraderie of friends, and the resilience of the human spirit. Accompanying these photographs are excerpts from the poetry of celebrated Palestinian-American author Lisa Majaj. Text by Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist, Anthony Shadid October 2009 • ISBN-13 978-1-593720377 |
about Rania MatarBorn and raised in Lebanon, Rania Matar moved to the U.S. in 1984. Originally trained as an architect at the American University of Beirut and Cornell University, she worked as an architect before studying photography at New England School of Photography, and at the Maine Photographic Workshops in Mexico with Magnum photographer, Constantine Manos. She currently works full-time as a photographer, and teaches photography to teenage girls in Lebanon's refugee camps with the assistance of non-governmental organizations, and to teenage refugees in Boston with the assistance of Children's Hospital. Matar's work focuses mainly on women and women's issues. Her previous work has focused on women and children in the Middle East, and her projects – which examine the Palestinian refugee camps, the recent spread of the veil and its meanings, the aftermath of war, and the Christians of the Middle East – intend to give a voice to people who have been forgotten or misunderstood. In Boston, where she lives, she photographs her four children at all stages of their lives, and is currently working on a new body of work, "A Girl and her Room," photographing teenage girls from different backgrounds. Her work has won several awards, has been featured in numerous publications, and exhibited widely in the U.S. and internationally. Rania is represented by Gallery Kayafas in Boston MA, Schneider Gallery in Chicago IL, DeSantos Gallery in Houston TX, The Empty Quarter Gallery in Dubai, UAE and Galerie Janine Rubeiz in Beirut, Lebanon. Click here to view Rania's recent work > |