The Deeply Rooted juried by Sundus Abdul Hadi

Woman Made Gallery is seeking submissions for our April – May, 2022 group exhibition juried by Sundus Abdul Hadi (artist, writer, curator). This exhibition will be held at Woman Made Gallery located at 2150 S. Canalport Ave., Chicago, IL 60608 in the Pilsen neighborhood. 

EXHIBITION DESCRIPTION

This curatorial concept is taken from Sundus Abdul Hadi’s book “Take Care of Your Self: The Art and Cultures of Care and Liberation” and seeks artwork in any medium that explores the following:

"Deeply-rooted is an empowered word to describe any person or community rooted in an ancient culture steeped in traditional and Indigenous knowledge that colonization attempted to erase. It is a word that attempts to describe the multiplicity of ethnicities and experiences related to the international Indigenous, Black, Pan-African, Afro-descendent, Arab, Brown, Latinx, South American, and Asian communities.

Transcultural communities, in all our diversity, have much in common. However, to truly be in solidarity with one another, we must celebrate our differences rather than skim over them in an attempt to boost our similarities. Just as in a family, or a forest, each individual is completely different from the others, I see our interconnected communities as relatives. We are members of an international family with much to learn and teach one another, nurtured through a sophisticated system of roots. The experiences of struggle, unbelonging, colonialism, and marginalization have affected communities the world over, particularly when displaced and uprooted in so-called Western societies.

Every time I would use or read words like “marginalized”, “people of colour”, “global south”, “BIPOC” or “colonized”, I found them limiting in describing the multitude of experiences of a rich diversity of people they claim to represent. These words are often white-centering and are unimaginative. I coined the term deeply-rooted in place of words that identify us as inferior, marginal, or secondary to whiteness. I use this word to describe the multiplicity of ethnicities who are connected not just through struggle, but through deeply rooted ancient identities, familiar spirits, and shared experiences of resistance to white supremacy and colonialism.

This exhibit seeks to center the experiences of the deeply-rooted, through a decolonial lens. By reflecting on both ancestry and futurity, we will collectively offer new narratives, definitions and representations of what it means to be both ancient and novel in a world on the cusp of change." - Sundus Abdul Hadi

The juror is interested in questions around the following : 

Tell us a story about deep roots.

How does it feel to be deeply-rooted?

As deeply-rooted people, how can we see ourselves into the future?

How can we honor our roots and ancestry in our acknowledgement of our plural identities?

How can we define ourselves outside of the limits of the colonial construct while using the English language?

How can we imagine ourselves differently from the way we have been represented by those outside of our communities?

How can we create new narratives to alleviate the burden of constant correction that is placed on the shoulders of many deeply rooted artists?

What does transcultural solidarity mean for you?

Imagine a world where colonialism never happened.

Show us decolonization in practice.

ABOUT THE JUROR

Sundus Abdul Hadi is an artist and writer. Born to Iraqi parents, she was raised and educated in Tiohtià:ke/Montréal, where she earned a BFA in Studio Arts and Art History and a MA in Media Studies. Sundus’ transmedia work is a sensitive reflection on trauma, struggle, and care. She is the author/illustrator of “Shams”, a children’s book about trauma, transformation and healing. Her book titled “Take Care of Your Self: The Art and Cultures of Care and Liberation” (Common Notions, Fall 2020) is about care, curation and community. She is the cofounder of We Are The Medium, an artist collective and culture point.

Abdul Hadi’s work has been exhibited in Palestine, Canada, USA, France, UK and New Zealand. She has been a speaker at Nuqat Kuwait, SADA Iraq, the Nobel Peace Prize Forum, Telfair Museums, the Aga Khan Museum and multiple universities in Turtle Island.

IMPORTANT DATES
FIRST DEADLINE: January 30, 2022
EXTENDED DEADLINE (submission fee increase to $35):*  February 6, 2022
NOTIFICATIONS: Sunday, February 20, 2022
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ARTWORKS DELIVERED DEADLINE: Saturday, March 26, 2022
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EXHIBITION DATES: April 7 – May 14, 2022
OPENING RECEPTION: TBA

CLOSING ARTISTS WALKTHROUGH: May 14 @ 3:30 PM CST

Fee waivers : 

WMG offers fee waivers to those that request the need and upon approved application. WMG offers 25 fee waivers in total. To acknowledge the historic inequities of wealth distribution, 15 of the 25 are exclusively reserved for ALAANA/BIPOC and/or LGBTQIA+. Factors that result in an approved application include financial instability or low income status, student or recent graduate status, identification as ALAANA/BIPOC and/or LGBTQIA+, or a demonstrated need otherwise. WMG accepts Fee Waiver Request forms on a rolling basis until all fee waivers have been distributed. A note declaring all fee waivers have been distributed will be added to the Submission form at that time. (That is, if you are reading this, the form is active, and there are still fee waivers available!) The team at WMG will approve and send a Submittal fee waived link within 4 days of application receipt.  To request a fee waiver -- complete this form.