Grande Odalisque #2 2008

Lalla Essaydi's 2008 photograph, *Grande Odalisque #2*, is a powerful piece that challenges traditional Orientalist representations. The image depicts a woman reclining on a bed, her body covered in a patterned fabric that is actually composed of Arabic calligraphy. The use of Arabic script as a decorative motif subverts the Western gaze, reclaiming the female body from colonial objectification and challenging stereotypes of Muslim women. Essaydi’s work, inspired by the paintings of Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, provokes viewers to consider the complexities of representation, cultural identity, and the female gaze in a postcolonial context.