The Mirage of Ancient Egypt: Exploring Ancient Egypt’s Legacy in Popular Culture

December 5, 2025–February 13, 2026 | Fenwick Gallery

Ancient Egypt fascinates us, yet most knowledge of this remarkable society is based on a fiction built upon Orientalism: a lens through which Western colonial powers judge Eastern cultures. These ideas harm modern Egyptians, whose history is no longer their own but a creation of the modern misunderstandings of the West.

This exhibit discusses this false view through three connecting themes. Consuming Ancient Egypt demonstrates how modern media and consumer culture intentionally exploits Ancient Egypt to create marketable products. Unwrapping Spirituality reveals how the West reimagines Ancient Egyptian spirituality to explore their own ideas of life, death, and the unknown. Undressing Orientalist Fantasies examines the oversexualization of Ancient Egyptians in a variety of media. With this foundation, The Mirage of Ancient Egypt provides an opportunity to reflect on how society has shaped today’s interpretation of Ancient Egypt.

Curatorial Staff

Chief Curator: Katie Nitz

Yoko Aita, Adella Bailey, Manuela Bushamani, Ryan Edmiston, Janel Girard, Isabel Grewatz, Amani Jefferson, Anna Johnston, Sarah Kone, Odessa Lamborn, Chris Pfeifer, Kei Smith-Quiniones, Meryem Tanis, Glenn Thompson, Lillian Warren

Jeff Kenney (Mason Exhibitions), Stephanie Grimm (Art and Exhibitions Librarian), Liz Johnson (Fenwick Gallery GRA), and Dr. Jacquelyn Williamson served as co-curators.

Generous grants from the History and Art History Department and George Mason University funded this exhibition.