Featured Artists Our annual Master’s Showcase 2024 featured artists who received a Best in Show or Honorable Mention from the previous two years of (2022 and 2023) exhibitions. The Showcase (1/9/24 – 2/4/24) presented work from the artists highlighted here. The following artist’s statements provide some insight into their inspiration and process. For information on advertising, contact info@huntingtonarts.org | 631-271-8423 | SPRING 2024 Arts Cultural Magazine | 21 Mara Ahmed My art practice is invested in trespassing borders and disrupting political and cultural demarcations. The attempt to tell marginalized stories and build community shapes my work across multiple disciplines and narrative formats. The personal is political in my practice. In conjunction with my NYSCA-funded film, Return to Sender: Women of Color in Colonial Postcards & the Politics of Representation (2023), I created three collages that subvert the colonial male gaze in found postcards from the British Raj (early 1900s). By removing South Asian women from derelict studios, where they were subject to Orientalist fantasies, and reconnecting them to their roots, I hoped to reimagine history. I placed the women in their native cities, packed with architectural details and constructed brick by brick with Indian textiles. Fatimah in Lucknow by Mara Ahmed Stephanie Angelo This series of paintings is inspired by my origin story. It incorporates themes of ancestry, heritage and cultural art. The traditional motifs of Polish Wycinanki (paper cutting) are transformed by paint through the bold lines and colors of the pop artist, combining older styles and forms of art with one that is distinctly modern and entirely my own. Taking Root by Stephanie Angelo Stephanie Folk My art is an exploration of the profound relationship between color, emotion, and the power of visual storytelling—a journey that transcends the boundaries of the canvas and resonates within the hearts of those who engage with it. Color is not merely a visual element in my work; it is the language through which I articulate the nuances of human experience. In this series, I have introduced a unique element to amplify the emotional resonance of each piece—an animal companion. These creatures, whether symbolic or literal, serve as conduits for emotional expression. I invite my audience to look closely at each completed piece and feel the story being displayed. Loyalty by Stephanie Folk Featured Artists cont’d on pg 22
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