3 Arab Artists Beautifully Portraying Life in the Middle East

Ramadan marks the ninth month of the Islamic Calendar, during which Muslims across the globe fast from sunrise to sunset. For about 30 days (depending on the moon sighting), Muslims take the time to reconnect, refresh, and reflect on what it means to be a Muslim and work towards practicing new habits to make them better individuals overall.

To celebrate the start of Ramadan, here are three Muslim artists who are giving us a glimpse into the world of Islam: 

1. Thaer Abdallah

Thaer Abdallah is a Palestinian artist and human rights activist born in Baghdad, Iraq. Palestinians are an ethnic minority in Iraq.  According to Abdallah, Palestinians have lived in Iraq for more than sixty years but have never gained citizenship nor freedom. His artwork represents the tensions that run high throughout the Middle East. (Artwork title: Freedom)

2. Rania Matar

The focus of Rania Matar's photography is on women and children in the Middle East. Matar explains on her website, where the media typically covers the Middle East in a sensational manner, she wants to portray that the large majority of the population are just ordinary people going on with their everyday lives. (Photograph title: Girlfriends)

3. Ibrahim Khabrani

Through his paintings, he aims to portray the silent innocence and purity of women in the Middle East. “The meaning of these women crowded together is not to be confused for my personal opinion but is an expression of togetherness. I’ve also experimented by playing on the visual aspects that was inspired by the shifts in use of color,” says Khabrani. He has been exhibiting his work all over the Middle East and South America since 1999.