Artist Nzingah Oyo presents “Woven Prayers,” a series of large-scale portraits staged in front of hand-sewn prayer rugs that contemplate the complexities of faith, hope, and connection in a world yearning for meaning. Activating Express Newark’s Lobby, Oyo’s images build from her “Dreams and Prayers” series to spotlight members of Newark’s local Muslim community —families, students, and spiritual leaders—to bring greater visibility to their intergenerational practices and legacies. Her hand-sewn prayer rug scales to roughly fifteen feet high, and is made up of a series of smaller prayer rugs that Oyo has collected. The portrait sessions were held in the SHINE Portrait Studio at Express Newark. 

Textiles, particularly the diverse colors, designs, and textures of prayer rugs, served as an early inspiration for Oyo’s work and can be seen incorporated into many of her photographic compositions.  A Woven Prayer (sajjādat) #3 is Oyo’s third iteration of her practice of selecting, assembling, and sewing individual prayer rugs from her personal collection to create one larger prayer rug. Whereas prior prayer rug tapestries served as backdrops in Oyo’s photographs, here Oyo moves to physically center the work in a space of installation in Express Newark, inviting the viewer to an intimate and surreal encounter of ritual and connection. In reflecting on the significance of prayer rugs and the work, Oyo noted, “It represents a place and space for peace not only within one’s home but within themselves… I wanted to share this experience that many feel when entering the Masjid––a sense of peace and calm.”