A person in the process.
CAC Art Series
From 2018-2019 I had joined the Cultural Affair Commission which is one of fifteen bodies of USAC. As said on the website, "'Edu-tainment' and arts activism guide the purpose of the commission. Programs are meant to ignite conversation regarding current events, facilitate exhibitions of creativity, and engage more student investment, connection, and participation. The an inclusive environment to permit students at UCLA to challenge and exchange with one another and to achieve intersectional solidarity." It was this exact reason that I joined the commission, the Art Series specifically because I was able to creatively express myself while also providing some political education on campus. Here are 2 galleries in Kerckhoff that I did under CAC.
Taking Up Space
The Taking Up Space exhibit features the portraits and narratives of fat-identifying UCLA students and members of the Los Angeles community in order to challenge fatphobia on campus and in greater American culture. The portraits, taken by photographers who identify as people of color, queer, and/or fat, highlight the beauty and resilience of those who face fatphobia in their daily lives. The exhibit explores themes of fatness, stigma, and celebration of self, and was up in Kerckhoff Art Gallery during Week 6 of Winter Quarter 2018. With the support of the Art Series, my vision for this project had come alive.
Through this project, Art Series aims to de-stigmatize “fatness” at UCLA by centering the bodies and experiences of fat folks in ways that challenge conventional notions of beauty and self-worth. People seldom consider the ways in which fatness complicates issues of access to employment, pop culture representation, the politics of medicine and healthcare, and the development of self-esteem. Taking Up Space is as creative and artistic as it is political. Thus, Art Series urges you, as a member of our audience, to interrogate your own understandings of body-shaming, in order to then acknowledge and correct (?) your complicity in perpetuating fatphobic cultures and attitudes. I took these pohtos of my friend Esme whom I often discuss fatphobia with because we share experiences.
Manifesting Malleability
This project was not one that I initially created, the intent and vision were made by my lovely amazing friend Samar Saif whom I had the pleasure of collaborating with to take pictures of subjects! This project-centered Queer and Trans BIPOC and what they hold dear to them helps us create a safe space but also envision spaces of freedom and care for one another. Together we created a backdrop in my apartment, edited photos, and took pictures for the project. Here are some that were featured that I had taken.
