Exhibition of photographs by Jila Nikpay
www.facesofnewamerica.com
Artist's Statement: "This collection of portraits of immigrant youth grew out of my fascination with the theme of cultural identity and belonging. I am drawn to working with these young people because of their flexibility and mystery. Through these portraits, I explore their complex rite of passage, which mirrors the evolving America identity" (continued below).
This touring exhibition is hosted by MELSA member libraries.
- Hennepin County Library, December 1, 2010–January 30, 2011, Minneapolis Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall, Cargill Hall, Minneapolis. During library hours.
- Hennepin County Library, June 1–29, 2011. Photographs will be displayed at Hopkins Library, 22 11th Avenue North, Hopkins, and Ridgedale Library, 12601 Ridgedale Drive, Minnetonka
- Carver County Library, February 2–March 31, 2011, Chanhassen Library, 7711 Kerber Blvd., Chanhassen
Artist Talk with Jila Nikpay, February 26, 2011, 1 PM, Chanhassen Library, 7711 Kerber Blvd., Chanhassen - Scott County Library, April 1–May 30, 2011, Savage Library, 13090 Alabama Avenue South, Savage, and Prior Lake Library, 16210 Eagle Creek Ave SE, Prior Lake
- Anoka County Library, July 1–August 30, 2011, Mississippi Branch Library, 410 Mississippi St. NE, Fridley
- Dakota County Library, September 2011. Photographs will be displayed at Burnhaven Library, 1101 County Road 42 West, Burnsville and Galaxie Library, 14955 Galaxie Ave., Apple Valley
- Hennepin County Library, November–December 2011. Photographs will be displayed at Washburn Library, 5244 Lyndale Ave S., Minneapolis
- Ramsey County Library, January–March 2012. Photographs will be displayed at White Bear Lake Library, 4698 Clark Ave., White Bear Lake
- Washington County Library, April 4–30, 2012. Photographs will be displayed at Wildwood Library Branch, 763 Stillwater Rd., Mahtomedi
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Saint Paul Public Library, May 1–June 28, 2012. Photographs will be displayed at Dayton’s Bluff Library, 534 East 7th St., St. Paul and Hamline Midway Library, 1558 Minnehaha Ave W, St. Paul
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Washington County Library, July 1–31, 2012. Photographs will be displayed at Hardwood Creek Library, 19955 Forest Rd N, Forest Lake
Artist's Statement:
As my subjects are developing into adulthood they witness their parents’ struggle for acceptance in America. Their coming-of -age journey is also fraught with many paradoxes unique to the process of acculturation. One such paradox is peer pressure, the invisible incubator of American mainstream culture which is often a source of contention within immigrant families. This is particularly evident in cultures where models of respect demand loyalty to one’s parents and not peers. This lived experience of making sense of modern and traditional values enables the youth to navigate through cultures and subcultures, building personal histories and character unusual for their age.
In order to get a closer look at this dimension in the lives of my young subjects, I engage in personal interviews with the children and their parents prior to making the portraits. In this exchange, my own history of integration into American culture acts as a prism, through which the multi-faceted realities of the subject become visible. Our shared experience of crossing borders, cultures, time and memory serve as a foundation for understanding the “self” as a composite of identities, rooted in both “old” and “new” worlds.
Our identity is shaped as much by remembering as forgetting. Our face expresses that which lies beneath the surface in transitory moments. These portraits provide a window through which we might examine the changing face of this country at a crucial crossroad in our history.
JILA NIKPAY is an award-winning photographer/ filmmaker whose work explores the theme of identity and belonging. She has exhibited at the Walker Art Center, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, Minnesota Historical Society and many other institutions nationally. Nikpay is the recipient of numerous awards for her work from the Jerome and McKnight foundations as well as the Minnesota State Arts Board. Her innovative educational projects with immigrant youth have received support from both the McKnight and St. Paul foundations.
Visit www.facesofnewamerica.com/public-forum/publicforum/
and share your thoughts about these questions:
- What does it mean to be an American?
- What is the most American part of you?
- Have you ever felt like an outsider?
Faces of New America is conceived and produced by Jila Nikpay
All photographs © Jila Nikpay 2010
Exhibition organized by MELSA and supported by Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
