The Art Gallery of the College of Staten Island hosted an opening for the exhibit Y Tus Papeles (Verified by Proof). The exhibit provides students and others with an artistic outlook on immigration, which impacts many cultures.

The contrast of these pieces of art in Room 112 in 1P was apparent in the many different styles the artists used to convey their statements. As I viewed each piece, I read along with the Gallery brochure recognizing how many artists used specific materials to point out specific aspects of their cultural identities, histories, and experiences with immigration.

One artist who is featured at the exhibit is Emma Nishimura. Her piece, “An Archive of Rememory,” focuses on narratives surrounding the Japanese Canadian incarceration during the Second World War. Family stories are layered into folds, through Nishimura’s inspiration from the decorative Japanese art form Furoshiki, which can be seen as a style that reveals certain moments while concealing others. It’s a similar theme to Nishimura’s research, which investigates stories passed from one generation to the next, as well as stories that are lost.

I spoke to one of the co-curators of the exhibit, Miguel A. Aragón, Professor of Art at CSI, on how he thought the exhibit was being received. “Once I knew I was going to become a curator for the Art Gallery, I decided to bring that exhibition here because I thought it was a strong group of artists, and a strong group of work, and it would be unfortunately timely with what’s going on in this country.”

Aragón put this exhibition together last year at a different venue, as well as an exhibit at Bucknell University where his co-curator, Eddy A. López, teaches.

Aragón, who was understandably unwilling to share his favorite piece in the Gallery, spoke about two pieces he was really fond of–one being the aforementioned work of Emma Nishimura and the other being Pamela Dodds’s piece, displaying a sketch of the Morocco Border Barrier in Ceuta, Spain. “I grew up in Juárez, Mexico, the border town where Eddy crossed into the U.S. and so I unfortunately grew up in this division of the two countries,” Aragón said. “Juárez and El Paso are actually cool sister cities because essentially we are the same family. If you grew up in either city, you have family on the other side so you kind of grew up going back and forth to visit but at one point the visiting became more difficult because of the politics and the integration of the wall.”

Many pieces of art in Y Tus Papeles seem to draw out a lot of emotional connection to people at CSI. Aragón’s use of the words “violent” and “ugly” to describe the border allow him to see the beauty in Dodds’s piece and how she could make something ugly look so good. Many people have beliefs about immigration and strong political sentiments regarding policymaking decisions but the human aspect surrounding these discussions shouldn’t be disregarded.

The Y Tus Papeles opening was certainly a special event where students and faculty had the opportunity to experience an impactful art exhibit from various artists whose lives were impacted through a rooted cultural history. As a biracial student at CSI, I believe students like myself can learn a lot about an unforgettable struggle that can be relatable through an unforgettable artistic view.

By Kyle Cicero