New Mathers exhibit shows diversity of Muslims in North Carolina

Artist Todd Drake has been working to give a voice to marginalized communities for the past 10 years.

After becoming a Rockefeller fellow at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Center for Global Initiatives, he made paintings for his “et al” series based on doodles he gathered from cashiers, Alzheimer’s patients and exotic-nightclub employees, among others.

He worked with undocumented immigrants to create the picture book “Give Me Eyes: Crossing borders to the heart.”

The Center for Global Initiatives agreed to provide more funding for another project on marginalized communities.

Drake’s most recent exhibit, “ESSE QUAM VIDERI muslim self portraits,” is on display now at Mathers Museum.

“I try to bring out stories of individuals,” Drake told a visual anthropology class Feb. 9. “My goal is to change the behavior of the community after they see the work.”

Drake received his undergraduate degree in biology but said in his heart he wanted to be an artist. He went back to school for a master of fine arts and became a painter.
He said he decided to use his art to help others after the death of a few close family members.

“My life has really gone in some deep and broad directions,” Drake said.

ESSE QUAM VIDERI, or “to be, rather than to seem,” is North Carolina’s state motto. Drake started the project in response to the stereotyping of Muslims and people’s tendency to fear the unknown, according to his website for the project.

In his talk, Drake cited the 1700% Project, which is an art project created as a response to the 1700-percent increase in crimes against Muslims, Arabs and people perceived to be Muslim or Arab after Sept. 11, 2001.

“Are you going to do something about that?” Drake asked the class. “Are you trying to be the detached observer or become an advocate for the community?”

Drake worked with Muslims in North Carolina and later in Manama, Bahrain, to create the portraits. The photos on display at Mathers are exclusively from his work in North Carolina.

When the United Nations heard about Drake’s project, it asked if he would be interested in doing a workshop with Sunni and Shia Muslims in Manama.

The workshop was held at the Bahrain Arts Society and was financed by a Fulbright-Hayes Grant and the U.S. State Department.

Drake said he needed special permission for the trip because it was blocked to western travelers during the Arab Spring.

He recalled driving past the fallen Pearl Tower, a symbol of democratic community that the government of Bahrain ordered to be torn down, and armored vehicles intended to keep protestors out.

Many of the workshop’s participants expressed feelings of shock, hopelessness and frustration about the current situation and government dishonesty, Drake said. He said he encouraged them to express these feelings and their basic needs in the portraits but to avoid depictions of violence.

Drake said he built trust with his subjects by being honest about where he came from and letting their ideas shape the portraits.

“I wanted to be effective without being a colonial savior,” Drake said. “I honestly tried to step back as much as possible.”

The photos on display at Mathers are exclusively from his work in North Carolina. A statement from the subject accompanies every portrait in the exhibit, each telling a powerful story.

One photo shows Halona from Greensboro, N.C., sitting on the ground, staring at an empty desk. She faced discrimination in her classroom and now takes courses online.

Another shows Amy from Rocky Mount, N.C., holding up a picture of her family while standing in the spot where her husband was murdered. She had to close her family’s store after she was robbed at gunpoint.

Sarah Hatcher, curator of education at Mathers, said she is grateful that Bloomington is a diverse community and the exhibit hasn’t been met with any controversy.

“Not all people are equally willing to view this type of exhibit,” Hatcher said. “People here are very welcoming, and that’s really a wonderful thing.”

Drake said he thinks Americans carry stereotypes about Muslims that are not necessarily based in fact.

He said Muslims are both modern and modest. The majority respect Christianity, don’t prioritize Sharia law and want to coexist.

“Americans need to check their assumptions,” Drake said.

Senior Emaad Shamsi said he thinks Drake’s use of photography was more effective in conveying a message to him than a video or documentary could be.

“A picture just seemed a lot more sincere,” Shamsi said. “It really captures the essence and the story behind what the artist is trying to tell and what the subjects in the pictures are saying.”

Hatcher said she hopes the exhibit will help break down stereotypes.

“I hope that visitors will realize we’re all just people,” Hatcher said. “How we approach religion may be different, but we’re all essentially good at heart. We all have the same basic needs.”

Drake’s talk earlier in the week echoed the same sentiment.

“There is no other,” Drake said. “We’re really just one human family.”