These incredibly beautiful and moving portraits of women in Lebanon showcase the resilience of the country’s war-torn residents

Published to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of the Lebanese Civil War, this book is designed to highlight the creativity, resilience and dignity of its subjects.

The title, Where do I go?, comes from some graffiti the photographer Rania Mater herself encountered on a wall, and is a thread which binds all of the work together.

Beginning when Matar returned to Beirut after the 2020 Port explosion, the project saw her work closely with women across the country. Matar herself left Lebanon aged just 20, and recognised her own experience in many of her subjects who face a difficult decision about whether to stay or leave.

Rianna (with Mirror), Amshit, Lebanon, 2024. Image: Rania Matar

The photographer works closely with the subjects, who each select the locations and decide how…