Sabri Sundos, a Palestinian-American artist, takes an unconventional approach to portraiture—he doesn’t simply paint people; he “discovers” them. His journey into the visual arts took a significant turn in 2018 while designing an album cover for his music. Since then, Sundos has passionately pursued a series of paintings and tatreez embroidery projects, all centered around themes of Palestinian memory, freedom, and identity. Samantha Jensen interviews the artist, delving into how his work serves as a heartfelt tribute to the diaspora, capturing the coexistence of sorrow and beauty.
In other news, the Art Institute of Chicago’s decision to outsource its entire custodial staff to an independent contractor has sparked protests from union workers. Staff Writer Rhea Nayyar has also curated a selection of memes and artworks inspired by Seattle’s cherished raccoon, Jimothy, offering a lighthearted break in an otherwise somber news cycle.
Additionally, readers can look forward to a new publication featuring Helen Levitt’s cherished photographs of New York City in the 1940s.
—Lakshmi Rivera Amin, associate editor
Sabri Sundos Faces Catastrophe With Flowers
“It’s the one thing in the world that is just there to make things beautiful,” says Palestinian-American artist Sabri Sundos about flowers. This motif is prevalent in his solo exhibition, Chasing Flowers, at Fisk Gallery in Portland, Oregon. Here, dancing figures and floral forms are used to delve into concepts of freedom, longing, and Palestinian diasporic identity.
Painting is a relatively new chapter in Sundos’ artistic journey. Prior to embracing visual art in 2018, the Brooklyn-based artist devoted years to music, touring, and performing, eventually picking up a paintbrush while designing an album cover. | Samantha Jensen
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Open Call 2027: Jentel Artist Residency
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News
- The Art Institute of Chicago plans to transfer its in-house custodial workforce to a private contractor in August, drawing outcry from unionized workers.
Features
How Jimothy the Raccoon Became a Hero of the Misfits
The short-spined Seattle animal with an unfettered spirit has been honored in fan art, tattoos, and murals. | Rhea Nayyar
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From Our Critics
Helen Levitt Captured the Poetry of New York City
A new survey publication serves as a testament to the photographer’s belief that the city’s working-class communities of color possessed a beauty and drama all their own. | Natalie Weis
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SVA Grads Make Art out of History’s Rubble
The Art Practice MFA thesis exhibition rewrites what came before, pushing back against harmful systems and inventing better ways of living together. | Julie Schneider
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Member Comment
Butch Murphy on “The Sunflower Effect of Kyung-Me”
From the Archive
The Comedians Who Helped Define Generation X
In the early ’90s, the Kids in the Hall transgressed boundaries of propriety, gender, sexuality, even species as an alternative to binary thinking. | Natalie Haddad
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