Lalla Essaydi grew up in Morocco and now lives in the United States. Her art, which often combines Islamic calligraphy with representations of the female body, addresses the complex reality of Arab female identity from the unique perspective of personal experience. "In my art," she says, "I wish to present myself through multiple lenses: as artist, as Moroccan, as traditionalist, as liberal, as Muslim. In short, I invite viewers to resist stereotypes."