In childhood, many of our first exposures to famous works of art are through puzzles. We tinker and toy with 300-piece reconstructions of Van Gogh’s The Starry Night before graduating to a 1000+ piece puzzle of Claude Monet’s Water Lilies. Playrooms and elementary school shelves are stocked with iconic works of art that introduce our … Continue reading Foreword – Rabel Betshmuel Selected Works 2000–2020→
The allure of the United States to immigrants has always been rooted in an illusive American dream. In the 20th century, the vision of a utopian America was neatly packaged in iconic Coca-Cola bottles and glossy Hollywood films and exported to the world. Despite a long history of racism towards new arrivals, the US has … Continue reading Kaiser Hospital, Just Like You: Why Kamala Harris Matters More Than You Think→
For many of us, dancing is synonymous with celebration. We waltz at weddings, chacha at the club, or moonwalk in the mirror when no one is watching; but dance has historically been just as rebellious and political as it is celebratory. The politics of dance shine through the toyi-toyi, the signature dance of the anti-apartheid … Continue reading Indigenous Solidarity: Don’t Dance Around the Issue→
One of my favorite pastimes as a college student in Santa Barbara was strolling down sunny State Street lined with antique shops. As the aspiring hipsters we were, my friends and I would visit each one in hopes of scoring a vintage flannel or finding retro décor for our apartments. At the very back of … Continue reading Portraits of Perseverance→
Written In honor of the late director John Homeh, 1952-2020 REVIEW Released in 1991, John Homeh’s film Wardeh Deesheh is widely known as the first and most successful Assyrian feature length film. Nearly 30 years after the film’s release, the story feels like opening a time capsule of outdated special effects and shoulder pads while … Continue reading Wardeh Deesheh: a Thirty Year Retrospective→
Originally published in the Assyrian Star, August 2019 Growing up as a first generation Assyrian-American in Diaspora, I was like most, instilled with a great pride in our ancient heritage. A Lamassu statue sat on my bookshelf and relief replicas of ancient lion-hunts lined our hallways, reminding me of my 6000 year old roots. My … Continue reading Diaspora In Bloom: Shifting Perspectives Through Art→
