Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art

About this Work

As a woman of Middle Eastern descent working in both America and Lebanon, Rania Matar often explores issues of gender and culture. When her daughter turned twelve, she became particularly interested in preteens on the cusp of womanhood. While the sisters in this photograph (our first work by the artist) suggest the universality of little girls dressing up, their differing attitudes, color choices, and the fact that only one is wearing a headscarf (khimar), which is not mandatory, reflects their individuality. As Rania Matar says, “It was also important for me to show other aspects of the headscarf. People in the West often think of it as oppression and as a way to hide the women, but here one can see the fashion aspect of it.”