Liz Adler, Raha Fard, Cindy Hoang, Qudsia Hussain, Veerta Kumar, Adora Lau, Joan Nuguid, Ghazal Vakilzadeh, Maddy Young
January 31 to February 28
Opening Reception Jan 31, 3:30 – 5:00 pm
This is a show about IDENTITY.
I is for Isolation. A distant eye sees the self in the urge of settlement; subconsciousness views happiness as beauty along with sadness.
D is for Disconnection. The disguising of power dynamics through placation manipulates the community into believing in a better future.
E is for Equivocation. Whether to reminisce over the once-alive memories becomes unclear in a colonized and gentrified time-space.
N is for Nonconformity. The joyful resistance against a mainstream storyline of oppression stretches across times of scarcity and the present.
T is for Transformation. Social change can turn grey bystanders into activists through constant exposure.
I is for Insulation. A deliberate act of veiling safeguards vulnerability from the colonial gaze and misrecognition.
T is for Tranquility. A soft promise that connects diasporic materials and immigrant identity evokes nostalgia and acceptance.
Y is for Yearning. Mournings for the pain and suffering of people intertwine with sweat and tears in sand and blood.
Every identity is a story, and every story is an identity. Identity unfolds in the narratives of isolation, disconnection, equivocation, nonconformity, transformation, insulation, tranquility, yearning, and so on — a tapestry interwoven with memories, experiences, emotions, and love.
We come from everywhere, and we can go anywhere, and be anyone. But remember, we are in the present, we are ourselves, and we are here, always.
Curatorial Essay: Ann Tong Li
Curators: Morgan Mavis, Tibi Neuspiel
Image Credit: Ghazal Vakilzadeh