Lalla Essaydi’s art frequently depicts the reclining female form to address issues of identity from her own unique perspective as an artist, a woman, an Arab, a Muslim, and a Moroccan. Reclining Odalisque takes its subject matter and title from nineteenth century European Orientalist paintings, which portrayed a fantasized Western notion of a harem slave (or odalisque), shown nude or partially clad and presented for the male gaze. Essaydi weds the traditionally feminine medium of henna decoration and the rich practice of calligraphy to inscribe the model and her surroundings with her own words, situating the subject amidst the anxieties she sees in her culture. The woman stares defiantly outward, challenging the viewer to see her beyond the discourses that surround her. Born and raised in Morocco, Essaydi received her formal training in France and the United States, where she now resides.

• Komaroff, Linda, Stephanie Rouinfar, Sandra Williams, and Sarah Mostafa Ahmed. Women Defining Women in Contemporary Art of the Middle East and Beyond. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2023. https://archive.org/details/women-defining-women (accessed January 12, 2024).

• Komaroff, Linda. Islamic Art Now: Contemporary Art of the Middle East. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2015.

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