SAWUBONA: A Powerful Exhibition Showcasing Youth and Black Artists
SAWUBONA, a powerful new exhibition, brings together the voices and visions of a dozen Black/African American and AAPINH (Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander) youth artists alongside local artist mentors. The exhibition opens with an artist reception on Thursday, March 13, from 5 to 7 p.m. at City Hall’s Gallery One. This thought-provoking showcase challenges perceptions, fosters dialogue, and celebrates the richness of identity and lived experience through art.
“These young artists have powerful stories to tell, and their creativity offers new and meaningful ways to see the world," said Mayor Tim Keller. "This exhibition celebrates their artistry and also fosters a deeper understanding of identity, community, and belonging."
True New Mexico is an annual anti-racism, youth-centered, arts-based project developed as a collaboration between the New Mexico Asian Family Center and the New Mexico Black Leadership Council. Recognizing the pervasive tricultural myth of New Mexico’s demographics and history, True New Mexico hopes to create conversations about this notion with the ultimate goal of redefining and rewriting true New Mexican narratives.
The theme for the True New Mexico 2024 project was Sawubona, a Zulu greeting that literally means, “I see you.” More than words of politeness, Sawubona carries the importance of recognizing the worth and dignity of each person. It says, “I see the whole of you – your experiences, your passions, your strengths and your weaknesses, your future. You are valuable to me.”
True New Mexico 2024 cohort youth artists are Alex Le, Andrew Michael Joseph, Aveolela Freeman, Dahlia Jarjusey, Dayana Calle, Floretta Stewart, Isabella Park, Kara Stricklin, Lana Nguyen, Lilly Tang, Mursal Hussaini, and Soniah Davis-Crump alongside local art mentors Tara Armijo-Prewitt, Sheldon Hamilton, SOKWA, and J P 제피 .
“As a black woman living in New Mexico, I am often made to feel people see right through me” said True New Mexico Artist Dahlia Jarjusey. “It is my hope that SAWUBONA will help open the community’s eyes to the fact that racism is very prominent in our culture and major changes need to be made for all people to truly see and value all people. The SAWUBONA exhibition is deeply important because it creates a space for AAPINH and Black/African American artists to share their stories, and really truly be seen and heard.”
SAWUBONA will be on view through April 25. The opening reception and exhibition are free and open to the public. Gallery One hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Gallery One is located on the first floor of City Hall at 1 Civic Plaza NW.