I was fascinated to stumble upon photographer Rania Matar's captivating monograph "A Girl and Her Room", depicting young teenage girls in both the United States and the Middle East, sharing their most personal and intimate spaces - their bedrooms. Coincidentally, as I clicked through the various striking images, I found that a number of them were shot in my own town here outside of Boston.
As a mom of three girls, I've enjoyed decorating their bedrooms, but have had to step back and laugh as they've gotten older and fought to make their own "design" decisions (ie the Muppets poster with a blank piece of paper taped over the 'freaky' Muppet Beaker that prevents my youngest from sleeping at night). My physical surroundings are really important to me, and a reflection of me - as it should be for my little girls, and these older girls as well.
As Matar discusses, the teens you'll see below are on the cusp of a major transition from girlhood to womanhood. It's fascinating to see how their rooms reflect that, with vestiges of childhood including stuffed animals sharing space with homages to scantily clad celebrities and rock stars, make-up, and even a lighter. You'll also enjoy observing both the commonalities and differences between the American and Lebanese young ladies and their rooms.
Brookline, MA
Beirut, Lebanon
Winchester, MA
Boston, MA
Beirut, Lebanon
Roxbury, MA
Shatila Refuge Camp, Beirut
Rabieh, Lebanon
Winchester, MA
Bethlehem West Bank, Lebanon
Brookline, MA
Boston, MA
Enjoy your weekend,
Deb
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