Three Artists Highlight Grandmothers in Compelling Show
Works by Kannetha Brown and Tarik Bartel on view in the gallery. Photo by Catherine LeComte Lecce.
Family plays an important role in the work of numerous art makers in ways that are explicit or more subtle. Right now at the Photographic Resource Center in Cambridge, a compelling exhibition explores themes of family, legacy, and memory through the work of three remarkable artists. Titled My Grandmother is an Altar, the exhibition highlights Tarik Bartel, Kannetha Brown, and Anhkim Dang. On view through July 5 in the VanDernoot Gallery at Lesley University, it is an important show to experience right now.
The exhibition brings together three artists of the same generation who have the shared experience of being the grandchildren of women who overcame war in and displacement from, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam respectively. Photographs, film, archival materials, altars, and interactive components shape the showcase into a multilayered experience that goes beyond a standard photo exhibition. It is deep and rich. There are moments of profound and sensitive beauty and others of ache and difficult collective memory.
A close up of Tarik Bartel’s warm and intimate portrait of their grandmother. Photo by Catherine LeComte Lecce.
Reflecting on what they hope viewers experience when interacting with the show, Tarik Bartel explains, “I hope that in viewing our work, people are reminded of the warmth, care, and devotion of their own grandmothers and the elders who define their lineage. I hope our grandmother's stories can be the threads that connect us all together more deeply, especially in this moment in the United States, as we continue to fight against the ongoing, violent, and devastating deportations of our Southeast Asian relatives and community members. May our stories remind us of our humanity and our resilience.”
Resilience is a keyword for the show. It is seen not only on the faces of the family members captured in the artwork of the three exhibitors, but also in the three artists themselves. Bartel, Brown, and Dang’s collective artistic gifts are also a reflection of longer intergenerational experiences. As Bartel points out, this exhibition is a timely one. Seeing and understanding work by artists like Bartel, Brown, and Dang is life altering.
Photographer Kannetha Brown describes the exhibition by saying, “To show at PRC is to enter an unspoken dialogue between Cambodian, Thai, and Vietnamese grandchildren, where our grandmothers’ memories ripple across borders and time, revealing how shared histories of survival have bound us in ways words cannot."
The stories of the subjects in My Grandmother is an Altar are shared by their grandchildren, but they also reflect broader experiences within the Southeast Asian community. Beyond that, the dense and highly emotional connection between grandchild and grandparent is a theme in the show that draws in a wide audience. Even for those who come from backgrounds that differ from the artists, there is a pointed and real familiarity in seeing glimpses of the grandmothers who are centered in this exhibition. A shared and global familial experience is evident in the show.
Work by Anhkim Dang and archival photographs used in her film Confessions of a Cool Girl. Photo by Catherine LeComte Lecce.
For filmmaker Anhkim Dang, the show represents both a document and an opportunity for something new. She says, “We created something that transcends history and time, honoring and reclaiming the past tragedies of war and displacement that have shaped us. My hope is that people can find sanctuary with us and our grandmother's stories to heal and find strength in our present day."
Concepts of healing are apparent in pieces shared across the exhibition. Trajectories of experiences that cross decades and inform the lives of multiple family members are also played out. Even in objects that capture a contemporary moment, there is residue of history that demands encounter and consideration.
Catherine LeComte Lecce, Program Manager at PRC is enthusiastic about the show and finds her own connection in working with these artists. She says, “This exhibition is personal to me—it brings to mind my grandmother’s migration from Puerto Rico to the Bronx of New York and the strength she carried as a woman of color. To share the work of these three talented artists together at the PRC is both an honor and a personal act of remembrance—it’s a space where ancestral memory, resilience, and matriarchal love converge in powerful dialogue.”
My Grandmother is an Altar is a powerful show and one that offers audiences from across the region the chance to get to know three important artists on the rise. In their openness and vulnerability, Bartel, Brown, and Dang have all given a gift to those who see their exhibition. They have also displayed their considerable talents as storytellers and visionaries.
An interactive installation invites visitors to reflect on their own ancestors. Photo by Catherine LeComte Lecce.
My Grandmother is an Altar is on view in the VanDernoot Gallery at Lesley University through July 5, 2025. The gallery is located at 1815 Mass Ave in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Gallery hours are Fridays and Saturdays from 12-6pm each day and Sundays from 12-4pm. Learn more and plan your visit at www.prcboston.org/exhibitions/
Follow Anhkim Dang on Instagram @keemchid.
Learn more about Kannetha Brown at www.kannethabrown.com.
Learn more about Tarik Bartel at www.tarikvbartel.com.
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