The Converts (2011-present) is an ongoing body of work which explores the experiences of Americans who have chosen to become Muslim. I am interested in what draws people to Islam. What motivates converts despite the anti-Muslim undercurrent which runs through our culture? How do converts understand their identities and find a sense of belonging?

I borrow visual language from Western Christian iconography to undermine the misconception that Islam exists outside of, or in opposition to, our culture. I invite viewers to question what the know, or what they think they know, about Islam, while also unearthing deeply held anxieties in American culture rooted in the fear of the other.

April and her daughter Sarah, 2013 (Copy) (Copy)

April and her daughter Sarah, 2013 Archival pigment photograph 30 x 40 inches

Robby, 2013 (Copy) (Copy)

Robby, 2013 Archival pigment photograph 30 x 40 inches

Mihrab, 2024 (Copy) (Copy)

Mihrab, 2024 Archival pigment photograph 30 x 40 inches

Abu Bakr, 2024 (Copy) (Copy)

Abu Bakr, 2024 Archival pigment photograph 30 x 40 inches

Hans with his teacher Lokman Hoja, 2013 (Copy) (Copy)

Hans with his teacher Lokman Hoja, 2013 Archival pigment photograph 30 x 40 inches

Women’s section of the prayer hall, 2013 (Copy) (Copy)

Women’s section of the prayer hall, 2013 Archival pigment photograph 30 x 40 inches

Imam Suhaib Webb, 2012 (Copy) (Copy)

Imam Suhaib Webb, 2012 Archival pigment photograph 30 x 40 inches

The Ninety-Nine Names of God, 2012 (Copy) (Copy)

The Ninety-Nine Names of God, 2012 Archival pigment photograph 30 x 40 inches

Clarissa, 2024 (Copy) (Copy)

Clarissa, 2024 Archival pigment photograph 30 x 40 inches

Anne, 2014 (Copy) (Copy)

Anne, 2014 Archival pigment photograph 30 x 40 inches

Jafar and Yanira, 2015 (Copy) (Copy)

Jafar and Yanira, 2015 Archival pigment photograph 30 x 40 inches

Imam Taalib Mahdee, 2013 (Copy) (Copy)

Imam Taalib Mahdee, 2013 Archival pigment photograph 30 x 40 inches

Esmerelda, 2024 (Copy) (Copy)

Esmerelda, 2024 Archival pigment photograph 30 x 40 inches

Women’s section of the prayer hall (chandelier), 2023 (Copy) (Copy)

Women’s section of the prayer hall (chandelier), 2023 Archival pigment photograph 30 x 40 inches

Asad, 2024 (Copy) (Copy)

Asad, 2024 Archival pigment photograph 30 x 40 inches

Anabel’s visit to her husband’s homeland, 2011 (Copy) (Copy)

Anabel’s visit to her husband’s homeland, 2011 Archival pigment photograph 30 x 40 inches

The Holy Quran, 2024 (Copy) (Copy)

The Holy Quran, 2024 Archival pigment photograph 30 x 40 inches

Imam Aqil Ingram, 2024 (Copy) (Copy)

Imam Aqil Ingram, 2024 Archival pigment photograph 30 x 40 inches

Mary, 2012 (Copy) (Copy)

Mary, 2012 Archival pigment photograph 30 x 40 inches

Bushira, 2024 (Copy) (Copy)

Bushira, 2024 Archival pigment photograph 30 x 40 inches

Although I am not Muslim, the origins of this project are rooted in personal experience. As a young adult I was compelled to respond to the attacks of 9/11 and the anti-Muslim backlash which followed. Shortly thereafter I moved to Bénin, West Africa to work as a public health volunteer with the Peace Corps. It sounds naïve now, but at the time I just wanted to contribute something good in the face of so much horror. In Bénin I lived in a village of comingled Muslims, Christians and practitioners of the local traditional faith, Vodun. The co-existence of these groups was striking because it extended well past tolerance to a place of friendly warmth, so different than the way these religions were pitted against each other in the American popular imagination.

The works in this series were made with a combination of 4x5 inch film and medium format digital, and were printed as 30×40 inch pigment prints.