(WEST BEND, WISCONSIN) – Museum of Wisconsin Art is thrilled to announce Mirrors, Not Windows: Photography by Asher Imtiaz, a poignant collection of portraits that humanize the divisive issue of immigration. The exhibition features 30 works that capture the complex and emotional liminal spaces occupied by asylum seekers, migrant workers, refugees, and other immigrants living in the United States. Imtiaz draws on his own experience as an immigrant in this deeply personal exhibition. This is the artist’s first solo museum exhibition. Mirrors, Not Windows is on view August 3—November 24.
Embedded with symbolism and personal meaning, Imtiaz’s thoughtfully crafted compositions are quiet contemplations that navigate the delicate balance between past and present, familiarity and estrangement, displacement and belonging. “Imtiaz’s photographs are both emotionally and intellectually engaging,” said Anwar Floyd-Pruitt, MOWA’s Curator of Contemporary Art. “These intimate portraits could only be captured by a neighbor or trusted friend, someone with a deep connection to his subject, someone who knows where to stand, both physically and metaphorically.”
Like the work of historic documentary photographers Lewis Hine and Dorothea Lange, whose iconic images captured the raw essence of America and its people, Imtiaz views his photographs, not as windows into others’ lives, but as mirrors that reflect back our common humanity. Imtiaz often considers how art can serve as a catalyst for change: his work gives voice to the voiceless and a story to those society so quickly marginalizes.
“Imtiaz’s photography reminds us that some of the greatest art of the modern era is rooted in personal experience and the desire to tell stories that enlighten and reflect a shared experience,” said Laurie Winters, James and Karen Hyde Executive Director.
Born and raised in Pakistan, Imtiaz’s early bodies of work document the religious minority groups of his home country. Imtiaz moved to the United States in 2012 for graduate studies, settling in Wisconsin in 2016. His lived experiences provided him with an empathetic understanding of the uncertainty that comes with living abroad. Imtiaz’s work has shifted in recent years to primarily focus on immigrants as they resettle in the United States.
In addition to the exhibition, MOWA will host an Opening Party on Saturday, August 3 and a Gallery Talk on Saturday, September 21.
Join MOWA for Mirrors, Not Windows: Photography by Asher Imtiaz, an exhibition where viewers will explore new perspectives and see themselves in others.
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Asher Imiaz, Esmaeel And His Son Juan, Lincoln, Nebraska, 2007