News

Sudan Comes Home: A Permanent Exhibit at the Nairobi National Museum

Sudan, the last male northern white rhinoceros, lived the final years of his life at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya, where the world watched and mourned. He died in March 2018, leaving behind his daughter and granddaughter: Najin and Fatu. Together, they are the last of their kind.

We are honored to have supported Nairobi National Museum in giving Sudan a permanent home in the Hall of Mammals. Later this year, his exhibit will move into this new space, ensuring that his story, and the story of the northern white rhinoceros, is preserved for generations of Kenyans and visitors to encounter.

This donation was made in honor of the organizations whose work made our connection to these animals possible: Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Jemu Expeditions, and Unplug Africa.

I have had the privilege of photographing Najin and Fatu at Ol Pejeta. To stand in the presence of the last two northern white rhinos on earth, to witness both their grace and the weight of what they represent, changed how I see my work. Photography, at its best, is a form of witness. Sudan deserved to be seen. He still does.

We hope this small contribution helps keep his memory alive where it belongs: in Africa, in a place of learning, and in the consciousness of anyone who still believes it is not too late.

The Caretakers Screens at Nairobi National Museum

On July 25th, we brought The Caretakers to the Nairobi National Museum, and the response was everything we hoped for.

In partnership with the museum, we screened the film to an audience that included students, conservationists, and members of the public. The message landed exactly as intended: conservation is not a distant cause. It happens here, in Kenya, carried by people who show up every day.

The screening was followed by a panel discussion that brought together some of the most important voices in northern white rhino conservation. Anthony Njoroge, videographer, editor, and co-creator of The Caretakers, joined us on stage alongside Steve Seet from BioRescue, the scientific project working to save the northern white rhino from extinction; Ken Kimana, Director of Corporate Affairs at Ol Pejeta Conservancy; and Zacharia Mutia, head caretaker of Najin and Fatu, the last two northern white rhinos on earth. The conversation was moderated by Gloria Nkatha, whose presence and energy made the evening feel like a true community gathering.

To everyone who came: you are part of this now.

Wish Night Dallas — Make-A-Wish North Texas

Patel will participate in Make-A-Wish North Texas' Wish Night Dallas gala on May 2, 2026, with a special collaborative artwork created alongside a 14-year-old wish kid and an emerging young artist. Titled Dreamscape and photographed in Shark Bay, Western Australia, over a unique region known as the Electric Fields, the aerial image captures the ocean in abstract, painterly forms that invite imagination and interpretation. After reviewing a curated selection of Patel's work, the wish kid selected the photograph that resonated most with her and helped transform it through her own creative expression, resulting in a one-of-one piece that celebrates hope, joy, and the power of art to bring people together in support of Make-A-Wish's mission.

36th Annual Children's Cancer Fund Gala

Mital Patel participated in the Children's Cancer Fund's 36th Annual "

Unbridled Courage" Gala, held April 17, 2026 at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, supporting the organization's mission to help children and families impacted by cancer. For the silent auction, Patel donated Steadfast, a fine art photography print capturing the quiet power and enduring spirit of an Icelandic horse. Rendered in an intimate profile, the image reflects resilience, grace, and calm determination, an expression of strength in stillness that speaks to the spirit of unbridled courage and offers collectors a timeless portrait of dignity and perseverance.

Mital Patel Wins 1st Place at Phi Photography Awards

Mital Patel has been awarded 1st Place in the PHI Golden Ratio Prize, Fine Art category at the 2026 Phi Photography Awards, earning five distinctions across the competition for his series States of Ice.

The series, a study of ice as monument, motion, and memory, traces the shifting forms of a glacial world through sculpture, stillness, erosion, and flow. Moving between intimate detail and expansive space, the images explore how time shapes matter, revealing a landscape where structure and fragility exist in constant tension.

In addition to the top prize in Fine Art, Patel received 3rd Place in Fine Art Photography, Landscape, along with Honorable Mentions in Fine Art Photography, Nature Photography, and the PHI Golden Ratio Prize category.

The Phi Photography Awards celebrates work that embodies principles of harmony, geometry, and visual proportion, a recognition that aligns closely with the formal qualities of Patel's long-term exploration of the natural world.

18th Annual Art for Advocacy Gala

This year marks Patel's third consecutive participation in the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center's Art for Advocacy Gala, an annual event that raises essential funds to support DCAC's mission of providing justice, healing, and hope for children and families affected by abuse in Dallas County.

For the 2025 gala, Patel is donating two works: Tender Whispers, a black-and-white portrait of a lioness and her cub that reflects themes of love, resilience, and protection, and Ripples in Flight, an aerial photograph capturing the delicate rhythm of birds in motion above rippling water. Both pieces highlight Patel's interest in revealing strength and intimacy within the natural world.

In addition, Ripples in Flight has been selected for the NorthPark Art for Advocacy Preview Exhibition, which showcases a curated selection of donated works ahead of the gala. The exhibition offers the public a chance to view and engage with the artwork while celebrating the role of art in raising awareness and support for DCAC's mission.

Mital Patel Named London Photographer of the Year

We're proud to share that Mital Patel has been honored as London Photographer of the Year at the 2025 London Photography Awards. His winning series, captured over eight years across volcanic landscapes from Hawaii to Iceland, celebrates the raw beauty and elemental power of nature. This recognition highlights Mital's commitment to storytelling through photography and using art to spark awareness, emotion, and impact.

Ol Pejeta x Tembo Launch Party & Exhibition at Christopher Martin Gallery

A powerful evening at Christopher Martin Gallery dedicated to wildlife conservation, featuring an exhibition of works by photographer Mital Patel and a conversation with Justin Heath, CEO of Kenya's Ol Pejeta Conservancy, as he shares stories from the front lines of protecting endangered species, including the last two northern white rhinos. The evening also marks the debut of Tembo, a luxury fusion of wearable art and wildlife photography, with a curated exhibition and the release of a special edition rhino cap supporting Ol Pejeta's mission.

Fantastic Voyage

Patel will debut landscape and wildlife photographs in his solo exhibition Fantastic Voyage at The White Room Gallery. As an intrepid traveler, Patel's work in Fantastic Voyage opens visually captivating portals of understanding about the natural world, from zebras in Kenya to cypress groves in East Texas, to viewers in The Hamptons.

The exhibition will be on view November 29, 2024 – January 12, 2025, with an opening reception on Saturday, December 14th, 5:00 – 7:00 PM.

Wildlife Justice Commission Silent Auction

Patel recently donated a photograph taken at Amboseli National Park in Kenya for a silent auction with the Wildlife Justice Commission in New York to raise funds for their mission to protect vulnerable species from transnational organized crime. The photograph was collected by a long-time major donor to WJC and grabbed the attention of the attendees.

Interconnected Realms: Visions of Coexistence

Patel will debut several bodies of work in his exhibition Interconnected Realms: Visions of Coexistence at Miller Gallery for the 2024 FotoFocus Biennale: Backstories. In response to the biennale's theme of "backstories," Patel's exhibition examines the complex relationships between humans, wildlife and landscapes, capturing the unseen stories of coexistence and conflict across the world's most remote and fragile ecosystems. The work in the exhibition is international in scope, including: icy landscapes in Antarctica, polar bears roaming the tundras of Svalbard, the culture of Maasai tribes in Kenya, and poignant portraits of the last northern white rhinos, Najin and Fatu, cared for by dedicated conservationists paired with scenes of anti-poaching rangers with their K9 partners in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy. Interconnected Realms invites viewers to reflect on the intricate ties that bind us to our environment and the critical role humans play in shaping the future of our planet.

The biennale opens on September 19, 2024, and Mital's work will be on view at Miller Gallery through the end of November.

17th Annual Art for Advocacy Gala

Patel will donate an aerial photograph, captured during the 2018 volcanic eruption in Hawaii, to the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center's 17th annual Art for Advocacy Gala as part of a silent art auction benefiting Dallas Children's Advocacy Center's efforts to coordinate the investigation of criminal cases of child abuse and provide healing services to victims and their non-offending family members in Dallas County. Art for Advocacy celebrates the transformative healing power of art and raises funds and awareness for Dallas Children's Advocacy Center. In response to the gala's theme of "

Hope Blooms," Patel's photograph, titled Luminous Journey, captures both the power of nature and the potential for new beginnings.

The evening includes cocktails, a silent art auction featuring 80 works by a variety of artists, a seated dinner, and a live art auction, on September 14, 2024, 6:30 pm - 11:00 pm.