Gender justice was far from being a reality in pre-pandemic times, but COVID-19 has further revealed how patriarchy continues to shape the world, as the crisis has disproportionately affected women, girls, and gender nonconforming people. March was Women’s Herstory Month, and it is a time to both reflect and to celebrate those challenging unequal power structures and shaping our feminist visions for alternative futures.
Reclaiming photography by bringing underrepresented stories to the center, We, Women shows the power of artists working in community to find common ground and solutions to the most critical problems facing a deeply divided United States. It challenges the dominance within popular culture of largely white, cisgender, and male perspectives and amplifies the power of communities to shape their own narratives.
This event explores the photography of, and features a conversation with, Katie Basile, Tonika Johnson, Mayela Rodriguez, and Arin Yoon, four remarkable community-based artists and activists creating work that showcases the diversity and richness of perspectives of women, gender nonconforming people, and communities of color.
Speakers
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Katie Basile
Speaker
Katie Basile is a multimedia storyteller from Southwest Alaska whose documentary work explores adaptation and resilience in a changing world.
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Joy Chia
Moderator
Until September 2021, Joy Chia was team manager for the Open Society Women's Rights Program.
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Tonika Johnson
Speaker
Tonika Johnson is a visual artist and photographer from Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood who explores urban segregation and documents the nuance and richness of the Black community.
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Mayela Rodriguez
Speaker
Mayela Rodriguez is a social practice artist reimagining institutional critique as a collective, inclusive, and healing process for Latinx communities.
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Arin Yoon
Speaker
Arin Yoon is a documentary photographer, visual artist, and arts educator based in Kansas.
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Daniella Zalcman
Speaker
Daniella Zalcman, a Vietnamese-American documentary photographer, is co-founder and creative director of We, Women.
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