Reyhab Patel, Sociology PhD Student, Featured in ALHAMDU | MUSLIM FUTURISM Exhibition
Reyhab Patel, sociology Ph.D. student and contract instructor, has been selected to showcase her work in the ALHAMDU | MUSLIM FUTURISM exhibition at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center. This groundbreaking exhibition, running from September 13, 2024, to January 11, 2025, explores the intersection of Muslim identity, speculative futures, and artistic expression.
Patel’s featured work, a captivating photoseries titled Khawab x A Mipsterz Collaboration—Exploring the Intersection of Religion, Art, and Technology, examines how Muslim women express their identities in futuristic and fantastical settings. Khawab is a creative project developed in collaboration with Mipsterz, a collective that centers Muslim women in innovative artistic narratives.
Meet the Alter Egos
The Khawab photoseries places Muslim women at the forefront of creative identity exploration. Pictured: Noor as a Tolkien Elf, Polly as a time-traveling PI, and Jalpari as a Desi Mermaid.
Noor – Tolkien Elf
“The want to dress up as an elf started with my love for Lord of Rings so I could just be in that world – until this year there wasn’t space for brown and radicalized people to be a part of it.”
Patel’s project, which won second place in the 2023 SOC/ANTH departmental art contest, has also been featured in the Fashion Studies journal. Her work is gaining recognition for its bold engagement with themes of religious identity, art, and technology, contributing to important conversations around the future of Muslim representation in media and the arts.