Rania Matar: Artist Statement

Having lived in Lebanon and the United States, I see Lebanon from different angles. I am an insider who speaks the language, knows the country, and understands the people. But I am also an outsider who sees Lebanon and its complexities through Western eyes. Living in the United States has made me realize how little people know about the Middle East. One objective that I hope to achieve with my photography is to make people aware of issues that are often ignored by the media.

For the past three years, I have been photographing in several Palestinian refugee camps throughout Lebanon. An estimated 360,000 Palestinian refugees live in deplorable conditions in refugee camps scattered across the country. Their temporary status as refugees is becoming permanent as third and fourth generations are born and raised in the camps. The camps are not integrated into the country’s economic or social system, and the Palestinian refugees are granted few human rights. They are banned from most professions and must depend on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency and the local nongovernmental organizations for health care, education, and other human services. I hope these photographs capture the dignity of the refugee population, and put a human face on a long forgotten people in search of a home.