George Awde: Scale Without Measure

March 20 – July 27, 2017 Kathleen O. Ellis Gallery Gallery Talk: Friday, April 14, 6pm Reception: Friday, April 14, 5-7pm Light Work is pleased to announce Scale Without Measure, a solo exhibition by artist George Awde. Awde’s photographic work explores themes of contemporary masculinity, the male body, friendship, sexuality, and notions of physical and psychological strength, as seen through young men with whom he identifies. The men and boys whom Awde has photographed over the last ten years include migrants to Beirut from Syria. Many are now close friends, allowing for an intimate portrayal of their everyday life. His pictures explore the way that people interact with one another, and in them one senses a longing to belong. As the global refugee crisis escalates, and the early executive orders of a new and contentious president attempt to block refugees from entering the United States, the themes of artist George Awde’s work seem prescient. Raised by Lebanese immigrants in a suburb of Boston, and currently living in the Middle East, Awde’s experiences inform his perspective on the world, his place in it, and his practice as an artist and a teacher. Due to the current political turmoil, Awde has respectfully declined our invitation to attend his opening reception at Light Work to stand in solidarity with the individuals who are central to this work, and others vulnerable to these new policy changes. In lieu of a gallery talk, we will video chat with him during the reception on Friday, April 14 at 6pm. lg.ht/AwdeScale — George Awde is a visual artist currently based in Doha, Qatar. He is the co-founder/co-director of marra.tein in Beirut, Assistant Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar, and recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, including those from the Aaron Siskind Foundation and a US Fulbright Scholar Grant. He earned an MFA in Photography from Yale University, and a BFA in Painting from the Massachusetts College of Art. Awde participated in Light Work’s Artist-in-Residence program in July 2015. georgeawde.com — Special thanks to Marcia Duprat marciaduprat.com Special thanks to Daylight Blue Media daylightblue.com Light Work lightwork.org Music: "Vela Vela" by Blue Dot Sessions sessions.blue Music: "Winter in Beirut" by Happiness in Aeroplanes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.