It is obvious that while my photographs are expressions of my own personal history, they can also be taken as reflections on the life of Arab women in general. There are continuities, of course, within Arab culture, but I am uncomfortable thinking of myself as a representative of all Arab women. Art can only come from the heart of an individual artist, and I am much too aware of the range of traditions and laws among the different Arab nations to presume to speak for everyone. My work documents my own experience growing up as an Arab woman within Islamic culture seen now from a very different perspective. It is the story of my quest to find my own voice, the unique voice of an artist, not an attempt to present myself as a victim, which would deprive me of the very complexity I wish to express.
Many more stunning photographs on Lalla Essaydi’s site.
It is, especially for a western public, tempting to place the work of Essaydi in a Neshat’ian tradition
http://www.gladstonegallery.com/neshat.asp?id=623
Yes, they explore a similar thematic range, particularly femininity within the Islamic tradition.