The work of Libyan photographer Nada Harib is all about hope in the face of adversity and beauty in the midst of pain.

With her work today widely exhibited in and outside Libya, from the Institut du Monde Arabe in France to the Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam, Harib’s work tells stories that have been forgotten or repressed during her country's many turbulent phases. 

Harib’s eyes sparkle as she talks about discovering all the cultural aspects of her fast-changing country, from the disappearance of the military uniforms she used to wear in the public high school as a child to the tlaba worn by women from the Nafusa mountains. A deep sadness descends on her as she recalls the destruction the civil war has left behind, the dark corners of recent history she laid her eyes and camera on. 

“But you know, it’s Libya,” she often concludes, whether she is talking of the country being unprepared to face the COVID-19 pandemic — she had just recovered from it herself — or about the incredible treasure trove of culture and humanity she has encountered in its unexplored corners.