SHE

By Elin Spring

The passage into adulthood is a complicated business. The ups and downs and getting through have been an absorbing topic for artists of every ilk, in every recorded era. It is no wonder, considering the drama of their hopes, dreams, agonies, and joys. Coming-of-age is such a persistent obsession that it is a breath of fresh air to experience SHE, Rania Matar’s revelatory photographs of young women from America and the Middle East. A striking selection of her prints is currently on view at Robert Klein Gallery in Boston through January 8th, 2022 (by appointment). Matar’s new book SHE (Radius, 2021) is also available at the gallery.

“Maryam, Beirut, Lebanon, 2021” from SHE by Rania Matar, courtesy of the artist and Robert Klein Gallery, Boston.

Matar, a Lebanese-American photographer, has offered her incisive interpretations of the stages of girlhood from different cultures in her previous books, “A Girl and Her Room” (Umbrage Editions, 2012) and “L’Enfant-Femme” (Damiani, 2015). Her highly collaborative approach gives an intimate, clear-eyed view of individuals and yields a delightful, if unexpected, conclusion. Despite personal and cultural differences between girls, Matar’s strongly unifying message is that we are more alike than different.

“Yara, Cairo, Egypt, 2019” from SHE by Rania Matar, courtesy of the artist and Robert Klein Gallery, Boston.

In a way, SHE represents a continuum of Matar’s journey but I think it marks a significant artistic leap for her. The images in this collection transcend portraiture, presenting a more complex, profound, and breath-taking experience. Like individual instruments that combine to create a concerto, in this work the alliance between artist and subject alchemize into lyrical images greater than the sum of their parts.

“Alae, Beirut, Lebanon, 2020” from SHE by Rania Matar, courtesy of the artist and Robert Klein Gallery, Boston.

Visual symbols and emotional metaphors abound. The black Burka worn by Alae becomes a sail on an ominous horizon. Yara’s fair limbs poise ready to emerge from an ancient tangle of tree roots. Are they holding her up or thrusting her out? Bombed out walls and cars, as well as elegant windows and doorways, represent passageways with questionable directionality. Bodies of water present similarly ambiguous fates, simultaneously suggesting the protective buoyancy of a womb and the threat of being drowned by the outside world.

“Aya, Batroun, Lebamom, 2019” from SHE by Rania Matar, courtesy of the artist and Robert Klein Gallery, Boston.

“Rayven, Miami Beach, Florida, 2019” from SHE by Rania Matar, courtesy of the artist and Robert Klein Gallery, Boston.

Matar’s compositions have also reached new heights in SHE. In each frame, she marshals line and form to create dynamic and diverse perspectives. Rayven’s wild mane is mirrored in a turbulent sky and frothing waves as she serenely averts her gaze. Matar’s palette is equally charged, contrasting earth-tones with hues that pop with the vivacity of youth. One wall of the gallery is delightfully attuned to red.

Installation view of SHE by Rania Matar at Robert Klein Gallery, Boston (photo by Elin Spring, with apologies for reflections).

“Farah, Aabey, Lebanon, 2020” from SHE by Rania Matar, courtesy of the artist and Robert Klein Gallery, Boston.

SHE is a tour-de-force of images that mine the cusp of adulthood, illuminating that evanescent phase of developmental change. Matar succeeds in portraying the mystery of her subjects’ emotional ambivalence, balancing their sense of apprehension with expressions that divulge serious determination. Although her subjects may be on the cusp of transition, Matar herself has come into full bloom with sensitive, nuanced photographs that radiate artistic brilliance.

Installation view of SHE by Rania Matar at Robert Klein Gallery in Boston (photo by Elin Spring).

For more information about this exhibit and/or to schedule an appointment, go to: https://www.robertkleingallery.com/

For more information and/or to purchase SHE (Radius, 2021), go to: https://www.radiusbooks.org/all-books/p/rania-matar-she

“Mariam, Khiyam, Lebanon, 2019” from SHE by Rania Matar, courtesy of the artist and Robert Klein Gallery, Boston.

Feature Image: “Lea, Beirut, Lebanon, 2019” from SHE by Rania Matar, courtesy of the artist and Robert Klein Gallery, Boston.