The Chicago Cultural Center hosts an exhibit of photographs by Rania Matar this month and through the end of March. I checked out the exhibit this week and found the images interesting, exciting and haunting.
Matar is a Boston-area photographer but she was born and raised in Lebanon where she repeatedly returned in pursuit of images of her war torn homeland and its people. The photos at this exhibit are all in black and white and they tell the stories largely of women in Lebanon today, with a specific focus on Muslim women and the very volatile issue of the head scarf in Islamic society.
Matar’s striking images combine an unusual skill at composition, very strong contrast in tone, and a sensitive approach to her subjects that brings their humanity into sharp focus by getting up-close, “intimate” shots.
There’s a photo called “Playing with the Doll” that really made me stop. You can see the photo on Matar’s Web site: http://www.raniamatar.com/portfolio/warAftermath/index.html. It’s the picture of a little girl playing with a little doll. The girl can’t be much older than 3 or 4 years old. A woman, perhaps her mother or someone taking care of her, sits idle along the wall – she just sits there. She sits next to this large gaping hole in their home. The hole was most likely the result of a rocket bomb. What struck me was the fact that this family just went on living - despite the fact that they had this big gaping hole in their home and a war is going on. The girl just wanted to play with her doll.
If you have a chance to check out the exhibit at the Chicago Cultural Center, I highly recommend you take the time and look at the images. It definitely makes you stop and wonder what life is all about.
You can also check out the images on Matar’s Web site: http://www.raniamatar.com/.
Until next time,
Megy Karydes, Founder
www.World-Shoppe.com
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