Harem #18 2009

Lalla Essaydi made this triptych, Harem #18, with photography, staging a scene with incredible patterning. It’s a process of layering, both in the making and in the seeing. The patterns feel endless, right? From the tiles to the textiles, she submerges her subject in decoration that both conceals and reveals. The blues are so present, they remind me of Matisse's interiors, but there's also something about the arabesque and calligraphy that feels very present, almost like it is painted onto the image. I keep coming back to the woman in the center, her gaze is very direct, and yet she blends in with the environment. That tension between visibility and invisibility is what makes it so compelling. It's like a conversation between photography and painting, where the surface becomes a space of cultural and personal reflection. Like Shirin Neshat, Essaydi also plays with notions of identity. It’s an echo chamber of ideas, both visual and conceptual.