Yuwan Ilano’s “Fallen Angel”
An exhibition of student entries in a photo contest, held in conjunction with the En Foco traveling exhibition “Dos Mundos: (Re)constructing Narratives” – including those that received special recognition – is on display through May 7 at the Marion Art Gallery in Rockefeller Arts Center.
Students were challenged in the competition to contribute to a critical conversation through photographs that address inequities in their life or to the daily lives of others. Topics that could be explored within the theme of social injustice could include the pandemic, racial injustice, disparities in healthcare and economic inequality.
Yuwan Ilano’s “Fallen Angel” color image, which addresses homophobia, racism and the turbulent history between the LGBTQ+ community and Christianity, was awarded first place. Ilano is a senior majoring in Theatre Arts and Communication: Public Relations, with minors in Multi-Ethnic Studies and INDS: Environmental Studies, from Rome, N.Y. First prize was $500.
Imagining peers enjoying their down time during quarantine, Prince Aziz Hunt documents his pandemic experience by portraying the day-to-day drudgery of working a full-time job to pay rent while being isolated from friends and family. The entry by Hunt, a junior Chemistry major, with a minor in Visual Arts and New Media, from the Bronx, consisted of three black-and-white photographs and won second place. The prize was $300.
Entries by Faith Kleese and Josue Petion tied for third place. The prize was $100.
Kleese, a senior majoring in Visual Arts and New Media, with minors in Criminal Justice and Psychology, from Angola, captures the impact of the pandemic on the elderly in a black-and-white photograph. Many senior citizens have been forced to shelter-in-place to stay safe from the coronavirus, forced into a life of seclusion and loneliness, Kleese noted.
Petion’s color photograph depicts a Black man, his hands chained and two firearms held at his head. A portrait of the same man is also included. “Blacks and Latinos sometimes feel as if all odds are stacked against their communities,” said Petion, a junior majoring in Communication: Video Production, from Brooklyn, who identifies religion and prayer as the only safe line of defense for marginalized people against those in power.
“Express Yourself,” a color photograph of a white male whose body and face are painted in bright colors, by Sean Marchant, a senior Visual Arts and New Media: Graphic Design, from Silver Creek, received honorable mention. The photograph emphasizes freedom of choice for the LGBTQ+ community, giving its members the voice in how they want to be portrayed.
“Black Lives Matter,” a black-and-white photograph depicting an urban street by Ryan Blake, a sophomore majoring in Visual Arts and New Media: Film & Video Arts, from Buffalo, also received honorable mention. “Organizations such as the Black Lives Matter movement have pushed for holding police accountable and reducing police misconduct to more equitable standards for individuals experiencing injustice,” Blake said.
Students given honorable mention received $50.
Submitted works by 14 other students are also on display. They include Kendall Brooks, of Pendleton; Kailyn Gatto, Westfield; Angeline Ginsberg, Lindenhurst; Matthew Henze, Little Falls; Max Lee, Lindenhurst; Ryunoskue Nagao, Tokyo, Japan; Nyles Panus, Great Valley; Derek Raymond, Malone; Justin Saylee, Bronx; Li Seagren, Jamestown; Neron Simpson, Bronx; Rebecca Torncello, Scotia-Glenville; Karalyn Walter, Warren Center, Pa.; and Isabella Wilder, Bergen.
