Asian Pacifically New York: The Photography of Corky Lee
June 08 - August 14, 2011
Corky Lee, Jimmy Kirikatani, Former homeless artist, concentration camp internee and subject of documentary "The Cats of Mirikatani," 2007
Opening Reception: June 25th, 3-5pm
Set inside the Queens Museum of Art’s magnificent Panorama of the City of New York, this exhibition presents the artist’s long-term commitment to documenting the experiences of Asian and Pacific Islander American communities of New York. These communities comprise 12% of the city’s population, who are perhaps seen but not well understood. By capturing the geographically, culturally and linguistically disparate communities under a pan ethnic-framework, Lee hopes to highlight a political solidarity and shared identity forged in the American and New York contexts. These contemporary images challenge centuries-old ideologies and representations, and thus becomes instrumental in reconstructing and redefining a population that will continue to flower as engaged citizens and take their rightful place in America. With the understanding that the 10th anniversary is close at hand, some images will hone in on issues of immigration and post-9/11 experiences. Drawing on the diasporic impressions, Lee also includes an image of the detained Chinese artist, Ai Wei Wei from 1989 during pro-democracy protests.
This exhibition is an extension of the QMA’s Partnership Gallery program.
Exhibit is made possible by contributions from the Confucius Institute of Stony Brook University, Asian/Asian American Research Institute of CUNY, OCA-Long Island and Asian American Center of Stony Brook.
