En Foco is proud to announce the upcoming community exhibition, Resistance for Freedom, hosted in collaboration with the Hamilton Landmark Galleries and the National Conference of Artists, and curated by Kay Hickman. Resistance for Freedom features the works of Chris Cook, Jeremy Dennis, Francely Flores, and Lawrence Sumulong. Exhibition on view October 20 - November 17, 2022, at the Hamilton Landmark Galleries, 467 W 144th St, New York, NY 1003,  by appointment only. 

Opening Reception: October 20, 2022 | 6-8pm

To RSVP, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/425935694127 

Activism has played a crucial role in fighting for justice and challenging governments, and other oppressive systems to create social change. Protest imagery today poses as tableaux vivant and has normalized protests and public resistance as a way of community outreach. In this exhibition, we broaden the conversation and see that the act of simply existing can be a form of activism while honoring the images made during public actions, protests and other forms of active resistance.  

Chris Cook documents the Black Lives Matter Movement in the 2020 uprisings advocating for Black lives. The protests represented essential action citizens felt against incidents of police brutality and all racially motivated violence against Black people. In Cook’s work, you get an inside glimpse of what it was like on the frontlines of the 2020 uprisings and you get a sense of unity amongst the protesters. 

Jeremy Dennis’ series Rise, reflects the historical legacy of the Pequot War and the fear of indigenous people in New England and later throughout the United States. The Pequot War: A war that took place between 1636 and 1638 between the Pequot tribe and an alliance of the colonists. The fear Dennis mentions comes from the acknowledgment of their “indigenous peoples” continued presence, not as an extinct people, but as sovereign nations who have witnessed and survived four-hundred years of colonization. Dennis plays with recognizable zombie iconography. ‘Rise’ highlights parallels between the apocalyptic rising undead and popular misinformation of indigenous people.

Francely Flores in the series, Justicia, Dignidad, y Honor Para Los Héroes Obreros documents delivery workers in New York City who have united within the past two years to demand labor protections, rights and justice for all the lives lost while on the job. In 2020 Under the New York State PAUSE executive order, non-essential businesses statewide received orders to close in-person functions. Flores uses her camera as a tool to bring awareness to some important issues. Here she is exposing the grueling working conditions and many dangers faced by delivery workers.

Lawrence Sumulong has been documenting the Marshallese diaspora and its people (Bikinians) in Springdale, Arkansas since 2016, which has become the largest community of Marshallese people in the United States. There are currently only 29 remaining Bikinians out of the original 167 who were forced to leave their homeland in 1946 by the US military. Sumulong’s work shows the struggles and daily lives of both the Bikiniann and general Marshallese population and offers a complicated look into what it means to be assimilated into, excluded from and exploited by American Society. 

Resistance for Freedom highlights the efforts of artists of color who have been working within their communities to push back against injustice. While building networks, communities, and platforms, these artists continue the discourse, and prioritize holding space for folks to express and defend their right to exist. 

COVID-19 GUIDELINES

Masks are an extra precaution to protect against COVID-19 in areas with community transmission, and for this reason masks or similar face coverings are required for all attendees. Masks will be available for attendees who need one.  

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Christopher Cook is a New York-based artist, born and raised in Brooklyn. Cook has exhibited in galleries throughout New York State, from the Lower East Side to upstate Auburn. He was a 2020 AIM Fellow at the Bronx Museum of the Arts. In 2021 Valentine Museum of Art acquired 160 of his Black Lives Matter photographs. In February 2021, Cook’s solo exhibition at Brooklyn’s Welancora Gallery, “Am I Next?". It showcased his documentation of the Black Lives Matter movement (May–September 2020). He is currently showing an outside art exhibition in Photoville this year. It is a group exhibition curated by Jamel Shabazz named The Brooklyn Connection.

Jeremy Dennis is a contemporary fine art photographer and a tribal member of the Shinnecock Indian Nation in Southampton, NY. In his work, he explores indigenous identity, culture, and assimilation. Dennis was one of 10 recipients of a 2016 Dreamstarter Grant from the national non-profit organization Running Strong for American Indian Youth. His project, On This Site, uses photography and an interactive online map to showcase culturally significant Native American sites on Long Island. Dennis holds an MFA from Pennsylvania State University,and a BA in Studio Art from Stony Brook University, NY. He currently lives and works in Southampton, New York on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation.

Francely Flores is a Xicana born in occupied Karankawa land (Houston, Texas) and raised in occupied Lenape land (the Bronx, New York). She is an independent photo and video journalist who focuses on documenting the stories of Indigenous peoples, immigrants, and Bronx residents. She began documenting protests during the summer of 2020. To Francely this was a way that she could be involved in engaging with individuals who also felt the failure of various social structures. She is a contributor to working class heroes radio featured on WBAI, amplifying these stories. Currently, she is studying at Baruch College pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Public Affairs with a minor in Journalism.

Lawrence Sumulong (b. 1987) is a Filipino-American photographer (with Casiguran Dumagat Agta Heritage) and a new member of Indigenous Photograph based in Brooklyn, New York. He creates work that studies both his inculcation into and resistance against various colonial systems of power. Sumulong deals mostly with personal documentary pieces–highlighting the tension between his two identities and studying how historical events shape both society and the self.

ABOUT THE CURATOR

Kay Hickman is a New York City based documentary photographer and visual artist. With an inquisitive eye, she offers a unique and empathetic perspective into the everyday lives of the people she photographs. Her work largely focuses on documenting the human experience as it relates to identity, human rights and health issues. Hickman’s work has been featured in The New York Times, TIME, Vogue, Financial Times, Ms. Magazine, and Photographic Journal: MFON Women Photographers of the African Diaspora. Hickman also Joined the Everyday Project’s Advisory Board where she works on various initiatives.

ABOUT EN FOCO | En Foco, Inc. is a non-profit that supports U.S.-based photographers of African, Asian, Latino, Native American, and Pacific Islander heritage. Founded in 1974, En Foco makes their work visible to the art world, yet remains accessible to under-served communities. Through exhibitions, workshops, events, and publications, it provides professional recognition, honoraria, and assistance to photographers as they grow into different stages of their careers. For more information, please visit: www.enfoco.org.

ABOUT HAMILTON LANDMARK GALLERIES | Originally conceived as an artist cooperative, Hamilton Landmark Galleries opened its doors in the autumn of 1997. It is dedicated to the presentation of fine art, the development of contemporary artists, and the documentation of fine art collections. HLG is situated in a landmark building erected in 1886 among a group of other buildings completed between 1886 and 1890. It represents one of the oldest structures in the district, a picturesque block in the village of Harlem’s Hamilton Heights historic district. The future of Hamilton Landmark Galleries is to expand its cultural outreach to the community by hosting artists-in-residence, holding master classes, and building a permanent collection. 

ABOUT THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF ARTISTS | National Conference of Artists (NCA) is the oldest operating African American arts organization in the United States founded in 1959. The National Conference of Artists New York, Inc. was formed in 1973. NCA's mission is to preserve, promote, develop, and mentor each artist while nurturing their creative forces and expressions as they navigate through the mainstream American art world at large. For more information, please visit: www.ncanewyorkart.com

This exhibition is supported in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council, New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor  Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, Ford Foundation, The Lily Auchincloss Foundation, Joy of Giving Something, Inc., and private contributions. Member of the Urban Arts Cooperative.