Converging Territories #10 2004

Lalla Essaydi made this photograph, Converging Territories #10, sometime after 1956. It’s a bird's eye view of a woman from behind, in what looks like a room covered in henna script. The palette is subdued, almost monochromatic, focusing on textures and patterns. Essaydi has used her own body as a canvas here, which is always brave, right? The texture is so tactile, you can almost feel the patterns on the fabric. The henna is painted, or inscribed, not just on the fabric but onto the skin of the figure herself. Notice how the lines aren't perfect; they're human, a little wobbly, which makes it feel super personal. It’s like she’s reclaiming a space, writing her own narrative onto it. It all comes back to the body and its capacity for expression. Essaydi's work often plays with Orientalist themes but from a woman’s perspective. It's a bit like how Shirin Neshat uses calligraphy in her photography. Both artists are using text, and the female body, to challenge and rewrite histories. Art is a conversation, and they are adding their voices.