In Our Gallery

Asian Arts Initiative’s gallery is open to the public Tuesdays through Fridays from 12 to 6 p.m. and stays open on First Fridays of each month from 6 to 8 p.m.

On view through April 25, 2013:

That Person Who Is Your Creation:
Iranian Women Exploring the Feminine Self
Curated by Sara Zia Ebrahimi

Opening Reception:
Friday, March 1, 6 p.m.

Artist Talk:
Saturday, March 2, 1 p.m.
With Artists Mona Shomali and Mala Iqbal
Presented in partnership with the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts exhibition The Female Gaze: Women Artists Making Their World

From left: Still from Someone who is not like anyone by Haleh Jamali;
Ode to Farogh by Mona Shomali
Taking its title from the line of a 1950s feminist poem, Call To Arms by the late Iranian poet Forough Farrokhzad, this exhibition investigates internal and external constructs of female identity in and outside Iran. Presented by From the Mouth of the Lion, an organization promoting Iranian artists in the diaspora, and artclvb, an online platform for contemporary Middle Eastern art, the paintings and video installations by Mona Shomali (USA) and Haleh Jamali (UK) challenge both Eastern and Western notions about the subject, ‘unveiling’ femininity in the process.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Mona Shomali is a New York City based painter who spent over eight years creating her Naked Folklore collection that features Iranian women in colorful, nude portraits. These paintings--six of which are on display as part of That Person Who Is Your Creation--represent extremes in the narrative of being Iranian American along spectrums of tradition and modernity, public and private, vulnerability and pride and oppression and liberation.

Haleh Jamali is a UK based artist who works with both painting and video installation mediums to explore themes on Iranian identity. That Person Who Is Your Creation features Jamali's single stream video installation Someone who is not like anyone--also a line from another Farrokhzad poem. In this video a midshot of a woman's striking direct stare continues for the full three-minute duration of the piece.

May 3 - June 7, 2013
Opening Reception:
Friday, May 3
4 p.m Youth Reception
6 p.m. All-Ages Reception

WE ARE ALL is a cross-city conversation in which students explore personal , collective, cultural and geographical identities through portraits, collaborative projects, and interactive works of art that signify who they are and who they are becoming.

WE ARE ALL is presented by Asian Arts Initiative’s Community Curators Program, which offers exhibition opportunities for those seeking to explore community issues through contemporary art. The program aims to engage diverse audiences, foster dialogue, and inspire social change in Chinatown North and beyond. Visit our Call for Artists page for more information.

June 15 - September 30, 2013
Skate Shop / 676 Skate
Isaac Lin, Nin Truong, and Youth Arts Workshop

 Opening Reception:
Friday, June 14, 6 p.m

Our celebration of youth-centered creative projects at Asian Arts Initiative continues with Skate Shop. Seattle-based artist Nin Truong of WKND Studio will work with Asian Arts Initiative teaching artist Nicole Schaller and Youth Arts Workshop students to create a pop-up shop at Asian Arts Initiative with youth-designed skateboards and apparel. Check back soon for more updates on Skate Shop public programming!

Asian Arts Initiative
1219 Vine St.
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Gallery Hours: Tuesday to Friday, 12:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
To learn more about Asian Arts Initiative's gallery and see examples of past exhibitions, click here.