Nazar: Photographs From The Arab World

"Divided into three sections, Nazar delves deeper--past the often violent and disturbing images of this culture that the media has saturated with us in recent years--to deliver to the reader a rich weave of vibrant colors, smiling faces from within pristine homes, and a deep sense of honor and pride for a people's customs and rituals, even when Western influences prevail." -- Jacqueline Tobin --Photo District News"Coming at a time when Americans need to understand Arab culture thoroughly, this book is timely indeed. In Arabic, the word 'nazar' means 'seeing, insight, reflection'; this collection, from contemporary Arab photographers, as well as historical and contemporary Western photographers, offers boundless perspectives." --American Photo"Nazar presents photographs of and by Arabs, from historical images to work by emerging artists, including Youssef Nabil, whose color-saturated tableaux are inspired by the golden age of cinema." --Travel + Leisure"The stereotype of the Arab world as a land of sand, violence and little else is put to rest in this showcase of fine art and documentary photography by those who live in the region and Western contributors. By exploring and depicting all sorts of cultural aspects, including the encroaching influence of Western consumerism, the pervasiveness of Islam and the role of modern women in a male-dominated society, the book's photographers paint a complex region that is both certain and questioning of its own identity." --Time Out: New York"Although there are images of death and destruction... the majority are celebratory, from children playing and nightclub scenes to Youssef Nabil's hand-coloured homages to movie stills taken in Cairo, once known as 'Hollywood on the Nile.'" --The Guardian