‘Edge of Arabia: A Work in Progress’ by Mexican-American Fine Art Photographer Natalie Marie Franco

Left: Natalie Marie Franco / right: 'Dark-SkyScrapers', Dubai, UAE / © Natalie Marie Franco / Courtesy of the Artist /

"Edge of Arabia is my photographic journey through the Islamic world that begins in the United Arab Emirates. Considered the Paris of the Middle East, UAE is a country with enormous wealth and a prosperous society bent on merging with Western influence. Hidden by the decadent elegance, there is a mesh of beauty colliding with the old and new traditions of the Emirati world. One of the primary central themes of this series, are the architectural designs and landscapes of the mosques. Islamic art and architecture hold the foundations of visual elements that specifically determine designs of the mosques. Calligraphy and decorated verses from the Qu'ran are replicated on the walls. Some of my images capture these aesthetics while others focus on the environment. 'Edge of Arabia' is a quest to remove the veil and reveal the alluring beauty of the Islamic world. It is a journey through a society holding onto the ancient but standing at the edge of a modern abyss.“ (Natalie Marie Franco)

'White Pillars of Heaven', Columns of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, UAE / © Natalie Marie Franco / Courtesy of the Artist

'Wall of Light', Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, UAE / © Natalie Marie Franco / Courtesy of the Artist

'Kaleidoscope of Light', Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, UAE / © Natalie Marie Franco / Courtesy of the Artist

'Water and Light', The exteriors of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, UAE / © Natalie Marie Franco / Courtesy of the Artist

'Elysium Domes', Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, UAE / © Natalie Marie Franco / Courtesy of the Artist

'TheFuture', The roads of Dubai, UAE / © Natalie Marie Franco / Courtesy of the Artist

The Camel from the series 'Edge-of-Arabia', Sharjah, UAE / © Natalie Marie Franco / Courtesy of the Artist

Evidence from the series 'Edge-of-Arabia', Sharjah, UAE / © Natalie Marie Franco / Courtesy of the Artist

Franco is also a conceptional artist whose work include mixed media, painting, and sculpture. Through Franco's artistic expression, the conceptual and the raw are always the utmost important aspect of her work, regardless of the medium.

Franco's photography has garnered recognition from the International Photography Awards and the Prix de La Photographie in Paris. In 2012, she was recently awarded by the City of Los Angeles for her contributing work in an exhibition at the Pico House Gallery in the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument.

Franco has exhibited world-wide, including Arthouse Tacheles, Bergamot Station Arts Center, Smashbox Studios - MOPLA, Latino Museum of History, Art and Culture and Museum of Latin American Art and Forest Lawn Museum.