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NewsChicago Sun-TimesJuly 17, 2026United States

Artist Mehreen 'Lali' Khalid Challenges Stereotypes Through Photography Exhibit

Visual artist Mehreen 'Lali' Khalid is showcasing a new photography exhibit at Columbia College Chicago that aims to humanize South Asian and Muslim immigrant communities. The project, titled 'Juhd-e-Musalsal,' features portraits of local residents intended to counter common stereotypes and reclaim the narrative of these communities.

arts and culturephotographyMuslim communityChicagoimmigrationsocial issues
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Why It Matters

The exhibit provides a public platform for Chicago-based Muslim and South Asian residents to share their personal narratives through art, challenging prevailing cultural stereotypes in the city.

Key Facts

  • Mehreen 'Lali' Khalid is the artist behind the 'Juhd-e-Musalsal' exhibit currently on display.
  • The exhibit is hosted at the Glass Curtain Gallery, 1104 S. Wabash Ave, Chicago.
  • The exhibit runs through October 3.
  • The collection includes 17 new photographs as part of the 'First Light, the Skylarks Sing' series.
  • Khalid is a recipient of the Diane Dammeyer Fellowship in Photographic Arts and Social Issues.
  • The project was created in partnership with the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
  • Khalid moved to Chicago in late 2022 and is a visiting artist at the Art Institute of Chicago.
  • The artist used historical photographic processes, such as albumen glass plates, to create the portraits.

Who's Mentioned

otherDiane Dammeyer Fellowship“Awarded to Khalid for photographic arts and social issues.”organizationColumbia College Chicago“Host of the exhibit at the Glass Curtain Gallery.”personMehreen 'Lali' Khalid“Visual artist and recipient of the Diane Dammeyer Fellowship.”organizationCouncil on American-Islamic Relations“Partnered with Khalid for the exhibit.”locationGlass Curtain Gallery“1104 S. Wabash Ave, location of the exhibit.”