Rayie (Elegant), American Woman Collection by Taeesha Muhammad

Rayie (Elegant), American Woman Collection, 2018, Acrylic and Found Objects on Canvas, 20×30 inches

The Busts in this collection show the silhouette of an Indigenous Muslim Woman adored in her Khimar. As a society, how we wear our hair is a form of expression. For a Muslim woman, her headpiece expresses a great deal of sentiment and her attitude about life. Khimars, for Muslim Women, can be Regal and Colorful.  Indigenous Muslims have always been here in this society, strong, invisible, and unattainable. Now more than ever, the identity of African Americans is considered an afterthought, but we are ever-present.  In a tribute to the Abstract Expressionist and Scholar Norman Lewis, I chose this theme to show a Muslimah’s beauty and adornment. With a combination of color and style, this personifies who the Muslim Woman will always be. 

Taeesha Muhammad is a collagist, abstract painter, and arts educator. Her works inspire a dialog about the power of language related to the African in the Americas from all Diasporas. Her art has always explored the human condition. As an African American Female, she has a distinct point of view of the world. There are so many layers; in learning about herself, as a Being, as a woman, and as a descendant of Africa in America, she sees the world through many lenses. Her works question how we connect the past to the future and how the world’s citizens connect. It is a very open-ended curiosity because she allows the questions of relationships, interactions, vibes, emotions, the physical, and the spiritual. She is always looking for synchronicity. In her works, there is also a great wonder about how people move in their culture. How can we create the natural ebb and flow that is necessary to support and nurture each other? This is the language that connects us. Her work shows the Human Condition’s merge of cultures, personalities, connections, and vibes.