Total dimensions variable; human hair provided by the artist, silk, hair thread, religious trauma, synthetic braiding hair, Black joy, 100% cotton, American history, hair dye, safety pins, Black imagination, 50/50 cotton poly blend bandanas, deconstructed & bleach degraded new & World War 2 era American flags, 24k gold, acrylic & spray paint, hair jewelry, earrings, interlocking dreadlock needle worn as necklace on mannequin head, charger plate & plant pot. This piece is site specific and can exceed 38" long.

Conceptualized in 2016, this sculpture serves as a timeline from the artist’s first mosque visit in 2001 to the year 2020, when she shaved her head to fit a hijab more effortlessly. Hidden Hijabi was created in the effort to both confront the American public with grief over what the artist felt for a long time was a loss of religious community as well as to serve as catharsis for that very loss. For her safety, she was not allowed to wear hijab or practice the faith in any other way as a child. This sculpture seeks to heal the wounds caused by hiding her faith, one of the most important parts of herself, for a huge part of her life.

On view at the Colorado Fine Arts Center for ALHAMDU | MUSLIM FUTURISM from September 13 2024 - January 11 2025. ALHAMDU is an experiential arts initiative that explores the concept of Muslim futurism through an immersive art exhibition, public programming, and academic inquiry. “ALHAMDU” visually and interactively answers the following questions: What does an American Muslim future look like? Who gets to decide? Who gets included?