Rawi(ya), the first photographic collective to emerge from the Middle East, translates to “she / he who tells a story” features a groundbreaking group of photographers: Myriam Abdelaziz, Tamara Abul Hadi, Gaith Abdul Hadad, Zein Ben Romhdane, Laura Boushnak, and Tanya Habjouqa.
Their work pushes both East and West to think about their own stereotypes. Rawi(ya) is, to an extent, about redressing the way in which the world looks at the Middle East. Their work presents cheeky challenges to perceptions of gender, roles, politics, religion, displacement, and culture – both within the region and to international audiences. The photographers work across a broad range of platforms, ranging from journalism, education, and fine art – utillizing long form documentary projects.
Rawi(ya) collective was established in 2009 with the idea to provide a supportive platform for female photographers in the Middle East and opened up to male members in late 2016.