Women's History Month: Rania Matar

Alae, Khiyam, Lebanon, 2019 © Rania Matar

By Lamia Baladi

Rania Matar (b. 1964, Lebanon) initiated her photography career when she moved to the United States in 1984. Throughout the years, Matar acquired wide recognition, receiving multiple awards and exhibiting her photographs in museums worldwide. 

Matar’s work is strongly influenced by her diverse cultural background, as well as being a woman and a mother. Womanhood is a presiding theme in her photographs, where Matar often collaborates with females of all ages in both the United States and the Middle East in order to delve into issues of personal and collective identity. 

Kefa, Gambier, Ohio, 2018 © Rania Matar

In this particular series entitled SHE, Matar portrays the individuality and mystery of young women transitioning into adulthood, a very delicate phase in our lives. In this collaborative and playful process, the subjects are placed in nature, where they become active participants. The women and their surroundings become intertwined, capturing their individuality, their majestic presence and their visceral relationships to our physical environment and universal humanity.

You can view more of Matar's pieces here.

Nathalie, Sudbury, Massachusetts, 2019 © Rania Matar