Rania Matar's 'Where Do I Go?' Returns to Lebanon's Wounded Landscapes with Young Women at the Fore
Rania Matar, a Lebanese-American photographer, released her book 'Where Do I Go?' through Kaph Books in the spring of 2026, which quickly sold out and has now been reprinted. This initiative was inspired by the aftermath of the 2020 Beirut port explosions, where Matar captured images of young women clearing debris, many of whom were contemplating emigration. The title is derived from the Arabic phrase 'lawen ruh' ('where do I go?'). This marks Matar's fifth photobook, following 'SHE' (2021), 'L'Enfant-Femme' (2016), 'A Girl and Her Room' (2012), and 'Ordinary Lives' (2009). Her Lebanese roots and Palestinian background greatly influence her work, which features portraits and vernacular photography and has been extensively exhibited. Matar's next project, 'Threads of Identity', will highlight third-generation Palestinians.
Key facts
- Rania Matar's 'Where Do I Go?' was published by Kaph Books in spring 2026, sold out, and reprinted.
- The book originated from the 2020 Beirut port explosions, focusing on young women volunteers clearing rubble.
- The title comes from Arabic graffiti 'lawen ruh' (where do I go?) seen with a woman named Perla.
- This is Matar's fifth photobook, following 'SHE' (2021), 'L'Enfant-Femme' (2016), 'A Girl and Her Room' (2012), and 'Ordinary Lives' (2009).
- Her work has been shown at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, LACMA, Carnegie Museum of Art, ICA/Boston, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Minneapolis Institute of Art, and Institut du Monde Arabe.
- In 2025 she curated the group show 'Louder Than Hearts' at the Middle East Institute in Washington.
- Matar began photographing after 9/11 to counter divisive narratives of 'them vs. us'.
- The book includes images at sites like Rayak train station, Zahle cinema, Bhamdoun, Chartoun, Kfarkila, Holiday Inn Hotel, and Piccadilly Theater.
- Her new project 'Threads of Identity' photographs third-generation Palestinians, inspired by her father's ashes to be returned to Jaffa.
- Lebanon has 1.2 million displaced and 5,000 dead amid the ongoing conflict with Israel.
Entities
Artists
- Rania Matar
- Samer Matar
- Perla
- Rhea
- Lara
- Mirna
- Fawzia
- Rianna
- Aya
- Maya Matar
- Samira
- Tara
- Petra
- Georges Boustany
- Kim Ghattas
- Youmna Melhem Chamieh
- Elliot Josephine Leila Reichert
- Etel Adnan
- Fouad El Khoury
- Nabil Assaf
- Manuela De Leonardis
Institutions
- Kaph Books
- Museum of Fine Arts Boston
- LACMA
- Carnegie Museum of Art
- ICA/Boston
- National Museum of Women in the Arts
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
- Institut du Monde Arabe
- Middle East Institute
- American University of Beirut
- Columbia University
- Collateral
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Lebanon
- Beirut
- Beirut Port
- Rayak
- Bekaa Valley
- Zahle
- Bhamdoun
- Chartoun
- Kfarkila
- Burj al-Barajneh
- Jaffa
- Gaza
- Palestine
- Israel
- Damascus
- Paris
- Washington
- Holiday Inn Hotel
- Piccadilly Theater
- The Egg
- Rayak Train Station
- Zahle Cinema
Sources
- Artribune —
- Collater.al —