Saturday, October 18th

Join us for an engaging artist panel featuring Samira Abbassy, Noormah Jamal and Melissa Joseph, three visionary artists whose work explores identity, memory, and cultural heritage through diverse mediums and perspectives.

The conversation will be moderated by Shilpi Chandra, whose thoughtful facilitation will guide a deep dive into the artists’ creative processes, influences, and the personal and political themes that shape their work.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to hear from these impactful voices in contemporary art. Free and open to all! Sponsored by SAWCC in collaboration with EFA.

About SAWCC:

The South Asian Womxn’s Creative Collective (SAWCC) is a nonprofit arts organization dedicated to the advancement, visibility, and development of emerging and established South Asian womxn artists and creative professionals by providing a physical and virtual space to profile their creative and intellectual work across disciplines.

Artist Bios:

Samira Abbassy

Samira Abbassy was born in Ahwaz, Iran in 1965 and moved to London,

UK as a child. After graduating from Canterbury College of Art, she began showing in London. She moved to New York in 1998, where she helped to set up the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts and the EFA Studio Center. Her work is in many private and public collections worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum, British Museum, the Farjaam Collection, Dubai, and the Afkhami Collection. During Abbassy’s thirty-year career, her work has been the subject of twenty gallery solo shows in London, Dubai, and New York.

Noormah Jamal

Noormah Jamal is a multidisciplinary artist born in Peshawar, Pakistan, currently based in Brooklyn, New York.

‘At the core of my artistic practice lies a deep exploration of human nature and the profound influence of personal experiences that shape individuals. Heavy in symbolism, my artistic language delves into the unspoken emotions and untold stories that often go unnoticed or are silenced.’

Melissa Joseph

Melissa Joseph is a New York-based artist. Her work considers themes of memory, family history, and the politics of how we occupy spaces. She intentionally alludes to the labors of women as well as experiences as a second-generation American and the unique juxtapositions of diasporic life. Her work has been shown at the Brooklyn Museum, Delaware Contemporary, Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, MOCA Arlington, ICA San Francisco, and List Gallery at Swarthmore College. She is the recipient of the 2025 UOVO Prize by the Brooklyn Museum and a regular contributor to BOMB Magazine.