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 Rania Matar 

Rania Matar was born and raised in Lebanon and moved to the U.S. in 1984.

 

Originally trained as an architect at the American University of Beirut and Cornell University, she studied photography at the New England School of Photography and the Maine Photographic Workshops in Mexico.

 

She teaches photography at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and in refugee camps in Lebanon.

 

Matar has won numerous awards, including the 2011 Legacy Award at the Griffin Museum of 

Zarha, Beirut, Girl In Her Room, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 1/7, 71 x 107 cm, 2010

Christilla, Rabieh, Girl In Her Room, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 5/7, 71 x 107 cm, 2010

Reem and Rania, Bethlehem West Bank, Girl In Her Room, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 2/7, 71 x 107 cm, 2009

Stephanie, Beirut, Girl In Her Room, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 3/7, 71 x 107 cm 2010

Jessica, Rabieh, Girl In Her Room, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 1/7, 71 x 107 cm 2010

Reem, Doha Heights Lebanon, Girl In Her Room, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 2/7, 71 x 107 cm 2010

Nohad, Bourj El Barajneh Refugee Camp, Beirut, Girl In Her Room, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 1/7, 71 x 107 cm , 2010

Lubna, Beirut, Girl In Her Room, Archival Pigment Prints on acid-free Baryta Paper, Edition 1/7, 71 x 107 cm 2010

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Bisan, Bethlehem West Bank, Girl In Her Room, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 2/7, 71 x 107 cm, 2009

Maryam, Bourj El Shamali Refugee Camp, Tyre Leb., Girl In Her Room, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 2/7, 71 x 107 cm, 2009

Elham, Shatila Refugee Camp, Beirut, Girl In Her Room, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 3/7, 71 x 107 cm, 2009

Hiba, Shatila Refugee Camp, Beirut, Girl In Her Room, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 1/7, 71 x 107 cm, 2010

Clara 8, Beirut, L’Enfant-Femme, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 1/7, 72 x 91 cm, 2012

Alia 9, Bourj El Barajneh Camp, Beirut, L’Enfant-Femme, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 2/7, 72 x 91 cm, 2011

Salma 9, Beirut, L’Enfant-Femme, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 1/7, 72 x 91 cm, 2012

Maryam 10, Beirut, L’Enfant-Femme, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 1/7, 72 x 91 cm, 2011

Samira 12, Bourj El Barajneh Refugee Camp, L’Enfant-Femme, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 1/7, 72 x 91 cm, 2011

Maryam and Yasmine 10, Beirut, L’Enfant-Femme, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 1/7, 72 x 91 cm, 2012

Christina 10, Beirut, L’Enfant-Femme, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 1/7, 72 x 91 cm, 2012

Marguerita 10, Naccache Lebanon, L’Enfant-Femme, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 1/7, 72 x 91 cm, 2011

Fatima 13, Beirut, L’Enfant-Femme, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 1/7, 72 x 91 cm, 2011

Dania 9, Bourj El Barajneh Camp, Beirut, L’Enfant-Femme, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 1/7, 72 x 91 cm, 2011

Defiant, Beirut, Ordinary Lives, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 1/7, 61 x 91 cm, 2006

Sisters, Beirut, Ordinary Lives, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 1/7, 61 x 91 cm, 2007

Covering up, Bourj El Barajneh Camp, Beirut, Ordinary Lives, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 1/7, 61 x 91 cm, 2005

Women's Rally, Beirut, Ordinary Lives, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 1/7, 61 x 91 cm, 2008

Palm Sunday, Beirut, Ordinary Lives, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 1/7, 61 x 91 cm, 2008

Boy in Mirror, Jaffa, Ordinary Lives, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 2/7, 61 x 91 cm, 2009

Doll and Veil, Shatila Refugee Camp, Beirut, Ordinary Lives, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 1/7, 61 x 91 cm, 2005

Three Nuns, Beirut, Ordinary Lives, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 1/7, 61 x 91 cm, 2008

Covered in the Heat, Beirut, Ordinary Lives, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 2/7, 61 x 91 cm, 2005

Courtship by the Sea, Beirut, Ordinary Lives, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 1/7, 61 x 91 cm, 2005

Juggling, Aita Al Chaab, Lebanon, Ordinary Lives, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 2/7, 61 x 91 cm, 2006

Girl and Rocket Hole, Aita El Chaab, Lebanon, Ordinary Lives, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 4/7, 61 x 91 cm, 2006

Newspapers, Beirut, Ordinary Lives, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 1/7, 61 x 91 cm, 2007

Nuns Having Coffee on the Terrace, Shekka, Lebanon, Ordinary Lives, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 1/7, 61 x 91 cm, 2008

Girls in the Alley, El Azzeh Refugee Camp, Bethlehem, Ordinary Lives, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 1/7, 61 x 91 cm, 2009

Open Window, Bourj El Shamali Camp, Tyre Leb., Ordinary Lives, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 3/7, 61 x 91 cm, 2005

Hanging Laundry, Aita El Chaab, Lebanon, Ordinary Lives, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 4/7, 61 x 91 cm, 2006

Girl, Laundry and The Wall, Jerusalem, West Bank, Ordinary Lives, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 1/7, 61 x 91 cm, 2009

Broken Mirror, Shatila Refugee Camp, Beirut, Ordinary Lives, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 2/7, 61 x 91 cm, 2005

Ipod, Beirut, Ordinary Lives, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 1/7, 61 x 91 cm, 2007

Barbie Girl, Beirut, Ordinary Lives, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 11/15, 61 x 91 cm, 2006

Fully Covered, Amercian University of Beirut, Ordinary Lives, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 1/7, 61 x 91 cm, 2007

Passage from Koran, Shatila Camp, Beirut, Ordinary Lives, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 3/7, 61 x 91 cm, 2005

Nun with Blowing Veil, Shekka Lebanon, Ordinary Lives, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 2/7, 61 x 91 cm, 2008

Broken Glass, Aita El Chaab, Lebanon, Ordinary Lives, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 1/7, 24x36 in, 2006

The Dead Mother, Bourj El Barajneh Camp, Beirut, Ordinary Lives, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 1/7, 61 x 91 cm, 2005

Girl in the Light, Bourj El Shamali Camp, Tyre Leb., Ordinary Lives, Archival pigment prints on acid-free Baryta paper, Edition 1/7, 61 x 91 cm, 2005

Photography, 2007 and 2011 Massachusetts Cultural Council artist fellowship, first place at the New England Photographer Biennial, Women in Photography International, and the Prix de la Photographie Paris.

 

She has accumulated honorable mentions at the 2010 UNICEF Picture of the Year Award, the 2010 Lens Culture Exposure International, the Silver Eye Center for Photography Fellowship, CENTER and the Photo Review.

 

She was selected at one of the Top 100 Distinguished Women Photographers by Women in Photography, and was finalist for the distinguished Foster Award at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston.

 

Her images are in the permanent collections of several museums worldwide.

 

A Girl and Her Room, chosen as a top fifty winner in Critical Mass, is Matar’s second book published by Umbrage Editions with essays by Anne Tucker and Susan Minot.

 

Her first book, Ordinary Lives, was published in 2009 by the Quantuck Lane Press with an essay by Anthony Shadid.

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