Hind Matar: Translating the Rhythm of Cities Into Visuals

For Hind Matar, creative work is the ultimate act of synthesis. The Bahraini stylist and creative consultant moves between Paris, London, New York, and Bahrain, crafting visuals that balance structure with spontaneity, restraint with abandon. Her eye gravitates towards the raw and the refined—cheeky textures, surprising colour, and a cinematic kind of beauty. 

“As a child, I would make up bedtime stories for my friends during sleepovers,” she recalls, reflecting on her creative foundation. “Studying philosophy grounded that sense of wonder, teaching me to look beneath the surface, to find structure and purpose.” Her work now brings these two worlds together, merging childlike curiosity and a search for meaning. 

Matar’s career arc is one of constant evolution. She cites moving to New York as a real turning point, shifting her practice from design into styling and creative direction. The city forced her creative language to expand through collaboration with filmmakers, musicians, and actors across every visual medium. “I’m fuelled by the connections I build, by the music that moves me, and by always returning to my family. They bring me back to my authentic self.”

Each move since, from Bahrain to London to Paris, has added a new rhythm to her visual language. “Every place offers a different kind of light, a new way of seeing,” she explains. Today, she views her heritage as both an anchor and a catalyst, drawing from her Arab origins as well as being driven by the energy of every city she inhabits. She believes creativity thrives in the moments when play takes over and instinct replaces overthinking—it’s a language spoken fluently by her portfolio.

Matar has styled celebrated figures ranging from Kristen Stewart to Chloë Sevigny and rock band Interpol, and recently collaborated with musician Marie Davidson on the visuals for her politically charged album, City of Clowns. “I’m inspired by artists whose values resonate with my own,” she says of the latter. Actively seeking out collaborations with SWANA creatives, she has also worked with Reward If Found by Moroccan designer Mohamed Khattabi and legendary Palestinian actress Hiam Abbass.

Having worked with some of fashion’s most influential houses – Bulgari, Norma Kamali, Vivienne Westwood, and Valentino included – Matar aims to be an agent of change. “I hope to expand how people see and understand the Middle East, beyond the clichés and the headlines,” she tells Dazed MENA. “I want to create bridges between cultures, reframing perceptions by celebrating the region’s dualities and its strength. There’s beauty in cultural hybridity.”

Looking ahead, she hopes the region’s creative landscape evolves with greater inclusivity and global recognition. “I’d love to see both Arabic become a more intrinsic layer within global art and fashion scenes and Palestinian artists being given the support they so profoundly deserve.” The stylist is currently collaborating on a fashion photography book set to publish soon, alongside a new project exploring the resonance of energy within garments: how clothes carry invisible narratives through time, wear, and memory. 

Ultimately, her work is about expansion—of perspective, of beauty, of what it means to belong to many places at once. “My creative path completely transformed when I allowed myself to follow instinct over fear,” she observes. By amplifying the visibility of regional artists, she hopes to encourage others to trust their own evolution and embrace the transformative power of alignment.