Literature, visual art, and photography not only serve an aesthetic purpose, but often act as mediums through which their creators explore deeply personal experiences and their broader social implications. In this, the fourth volume of MEI’s “The State of the Arts in the Middle East,” Najat Rahman considers the works of the Palestinian artists Emily Jacir and Eman Haram, and W. Scott Chahanovich (with Pauline Pannier) discusses the memoirs of the Moroccan-born writer Abdellah Taïa. As the essays by Rahman and Chahanovich reveal, these artists have pushed the boundaries of their respective crafts, and in so doing, have shed light on the transformational role that memory can play in shaping individual and collective identity.

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To read the third volume of The State of the Arts in the Middle East, please click here.