Reclining Odalisque 2008

This is Lalla Essaydi’s photograph ‘Reclining Odalisque’, and it’s like she made it with henna, fabric, and light. The colours all blend together, sandy and off-white. It’s a really dreamy palette, right? Looking at the surface, the words are everywhere, written in calligraphy, like a kind of skin. The woman blends in and the walls blend in, and you can feel the process, this slow writing. It's not just about the image, but about the layering and repetition of these marks. It reminds me of Cy Twombly’s scribbles. Now, check out how the light softly lands on the woman’s face. The writing on her skin is so precise, but the overall effect is painterly and blurred. This isn't a snapshot, but a meditation. Artists are always having conversations with each other, across time and space, and Lalla is definitely having a really interesting one here.