A new exhibit curated by Saima Akhtar and Mona Damluji titled, “Multitudes: An art Exhibition in the age of the #muslimban,” will be showcased at the Richard F. Brush Art Gallery October 18 through December 15. The art exhibit seeks to highlight the contributions Muslims have made to American society while countering discrimination and Islamophobia.
Saima Akhtar is an associate at the Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage, where she strives to counter the loss of cultural heritage throughout the Middle East, most notably in Syria and Iraq. Mona Damluji is an associate professor at the University of California Santa Barbara and has been nominated for an Emmy and Peabody award for her short documentary series, The Secret Life of Muslims.
The exhibit brings together seven artists from Muslim and non-Muslim backgrounds to help broaden the narrow representation of Muslims in the media. One of the artists, Leila Abdelrazaq, is a Chicago-born, Palestinian author and artist, whose works have been featured in outlets such as VICE, Harper’s, and Hyperallergic. Her work primarily focuses on issues related to diaspora, refugees, history, memory, and borders.
Christopher Mir is a practicing Vipassana Buddhist, whose artwork revolves around the feeling of time travel through “reenactment.” His personal identity reflects the diversity of the American melting pot through his family tree, which touches upon all three monotheistic traditions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
The variety of artists is a central component to the exhibit, drawing attention to the complex nature of ethnic, religious, and racial identities. Akhtar and Damluji wish to explain how it is impossible to define any region, culture, or identity through one singular understanding. In light of the Muslim ban, Akhtar and Damluji hope to increase people’s understanding of the Islamic culture.
The artworks reflect the identities of each artist and strive to counteract the images of violence portrayed in the media. Artworks include photos, printmaking, sculptures, and paintings which explores themes of solidarity and intersection within Muslim, black, brown, gender-based, refugee, and immigrant communities.
The 90 day travel or “Muslim” ban was first introduced by President Trump only weeks into his presidency and banned entry for citizens from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Trump insisted that the ban was necessary to protect the country from terrorism and stressed that it was not about religion. Eventually, a U.S. District Court Judge ruled that the ban had caused “irreparable injury as a result of the signing and implementation of the executive order,” and blocked the ban.
There will be a lecture by Saima Akhtar that will take place at 7 p.m. on Monday, October 23 in Griffiths Arts Center 123. The lecture is free and open to the public; a gallery reception will follow. The gallery will be open Monday through Thursday from noon to 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m. Visit the Brush Art Gallery at www.stlawu.edu/gallery for more information.