In Self-Portrait as My Father (2019), Silvia Rosi (b. 1992) poses in a sharp suit in the centre of the composition. She balances books on her head whilst holding a tomato in her hand, one she might have picked up from amongst the gleaming red heaps that surround her. Her eyes are fixed on the viewer and her other fist grips a shutter release – signalling her dual role as both sitter and image-maker.
The piece comes from the Encounter (2019) series, which recounts her family’s journey from Togo to Italy. Rosi’s father was a professional looking for better opportunities abroad, only to find work as a tomato farmer. Self-portraiture is a way for the artist to connect with him. Her scenes reference West African studio photographers like Seydou Keïta and Sanlé Sory. Rosi states: “My work is a process of understanding my family history and working on this project was a way to empathise with my parent’s experience.”
Rosi is part of In the Now, a show that examines notions of camerawork, gender and nationhood across Europe. The 47 women artists on display are a diverse group from 16 countries. Each approaches the continent differently, bringing the histories and 21st century realities of imperialism, migration and patriarchy to the conversation. For instance, Yto Barrada (b. 1971) alludes to the legacies of French colonialism in Morocco in Papiers Pliés (2007) whilst Bettina von Zwehl (b. 1971) explores the multi- faceted identity of a young girl across 50 silhouettes in The Sessions. The range of perspectives results in a wide spectrum of answers to the question: how do we connect with the places we are from?
Brooklyn Museum, In the Now: Gender and Nation in Europe | Until 7 July
Image Credits:
- Silvia Rosi (born Italy 1992). Self-Portrait as My Father, 2019. Inkjet print, 35 1/16 x 35 3/16 in. (89.1 x 89.4 cm). The Sir Mark Fehrs Haukohl Collection at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Brooklyn Museum, purchased with funds provided by the Ralph M. Parsons Fund, 2022.50.1. © Silvia Rosi. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
- Ulla Jokisalo (born Kannus Finland 1955). Wasteland, from the series Collection of Headless Women. 2015. Inkjet print, pins, 23 5/8 x 16 in. (60 x 40.6 cm). The Sir Mark Fehrs Haukohl Collection at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Brooklyn Museum, TL2020.6.77. © Ulla Kokisalo, courtesy Persons Projects (Photo: courtesy of the artist)
