A POC Project (2022)
Project #1:
Dreaming in Femininity:
Growing up as mixed Asian - never feeling quite Asian enough or white enough— Alyssa explores chasing femininity for acceptance and belonging, until it becomes a part of who she is.
Project #2:
Cyber Elegance
As performers of traditionally underrepresented ethnic/racial backgrounds, POC are often excluded from the narrative of progress and technology which is still so rooted in whiteness, especially in imagery. These narratives also often fail to regard nature as an imperative part of our existence. There is no such thing as progress or advancement that comes at the cost of nature - this is simply destruction. This project shows the vision of futurism as one in reverence of nature, and one that draws from cultures that understand the dire importance of respecting the planet that gives us life.
Project #3:
Your Self Worth does not Belong to Others
“Being raised to see value in yourself is a beautiful thing; and being 600 lbs at a time in my life is something that would have altered many peoples’ views of self worth, but it did not touch mine. When I decided to begin my journey of weight loss, I could’ve never imagined the response people expected me to have with my “new body”. The only thing that changed about me was my body… not me. With the extreme weight loss skin that usually follows, they don’t tell you that once you lose the weight, your body doesn’t just snap back like having a baby. The surgery to repair the body are seen by the government as “cosmetic”. So I choose to be the beholder of the beauty I have and encourage others to push past self judgment to see the value of their own.”
— Kathleen Hall
Project #4:
Picture Time
“I’ve never been good at getting my picture taken- not the way my friends all seemed to be growing up. Every time some mom whipped the camera out I’d watch in horror/awe as all the children around me snapped themselves into all these wonderful shapes. Nice smiles. Straight spines. Trendy hand signs. Who taught y’all how to do that? And what’s their email? I’m starting late but I’m trying to learn.”
- Ben Wang
