Jendayi and Isoke Iye; Photo by David Young

Beautifully Wrapped is an exciting and innovative wall calendar and companion traveling exhibition celebrating the beauty and splendor of headwraps.  Each year, we select 13 photos from an international pool of photographs submitted by professional and amateur photographers.  These images feature an eclectic and diverse array of people — from students in the United Arab Emirates, to community activists in Chicago — all of whom enjoy adorning their heads with cloth.

Conceived by Zarinah El-Amin Naeem, anthropologist and headwrapologist, Beautifully Wrapped presents the beauty, power, and global influences of headwrapping and highlights women of all backgrounds, regardless of ethnicity or religion who love the art.  After teaching headwrapping for the past 7 years, Zarinah was inspired to create an artful tribute to the culture.

Nawal Osman; Photo by Sarah R. Larson

The 2013 calendar is available for sale Summer 2012 with the exhibit available for travel starting Fall 2012.  El-Amin Naeem and featured photographers are available for lectures, talks and workshops on the culture of headwrapping.

The Calendar also serves as a fundraising tool for Zarinah’s work in girl and women empowerment.   Proceeds from the 2011 calendar went to support 10,000 Girls, a non-profit based in Senegal founded by Dr. Viola Vaughn.  2013′s proceeds will go to establish the NIYAH Foundation, whose mission is to uplift and empower women around the world through entrepreneurship and education.

With each tuck, pull, fold and pin, wrapping has the unique ability to transform not only your look, but your spirit.  -Zarinah El-Amin Naeem, Curator and Headwrapologist