Nzingah Muhammad

September 5-28, 2002

Nzingah Muhammad's formal color portraits of African American Muslim women in their homes is an exploration of women's role in contemporary Muslim culture. Within her stylized images the smallest details--clothes, a gesture, a glance-- speak to the traditions and beliefs of African American women in Islamic culture. Muhammad herself grew up in a home with one father, 7 mothers, and 32 siblings. Her photographs reflect a personal reconstruction of these cultural traditions, and a search for her place within the Muslim society.