To Your Raised Head

- Stories of Immigration by CarryOn Homes

Soo Visual Arts Center:

2909 Bryant Ave S #101, Minneapolis, MN 55408

Gallery hours:

Wednesday-Friday 11 am-6 pm, and Saturday-Sunday 11 am–5 pm.

Opening reception: Dec 3rd, 6-9 pm

To Your Raised Head is a collection of stories and portraits of refugees and immigrants from the SWANA region who now call Minnesota their home. To Your Raised Head-Stories of Immigration is a collaboration between COH, the Iraqi American Reconciliation Project (IARP), and Winona Afghan Support Network (WASN). The exhibition's title came from the poem My Homeland by Rabea AlShimmery. COH commissioned My Homeland through IARP's network; AlShimmery is an immigrant poet from Iraq.

To Your Raise Head was featured on MPR All Things Considered

Click here to listed to the interview

New exhibit celebrates Southwest Asian and North African immigrants in Minnesota

An immersive collection of stories on finding home and belonging

By Tom Crann and Ngoc Bui, December 2, 2022 5:18 PM

My Homeland

Poem by Rabea AlShimmery. Translated by Tom Belt and Shaymaa Khalil

When will the world’s conscience awaken
And find all our joys complete and unshaken?
Reconciled, let us the world rebuild
With beauty and love, with God’s aid our shield.
This night of our worries let us endure
And let the dawn be welcomed by the Poor.
O Land I love, my dearest Home,
Noblest Father, Beloved Mother;
My dearest Home, we shall never leave,
To your raised head we shall gather and cleave,
Our proud Homeland forever.

وطني

يمته ضمير العالم يصحى

وتعم كل الناس الفرحة

خل نتصالح نبني الكون

بأجمل حب ومن الله العون

خل ليل الهم ينطر

ليل الفقرة ينطر صبحه

كاعي وطني أرضي الطيبة

أشرف أب وام احبيبه

منعوفك يا وطني الغالي

نرجع ويظل راسك عالي

وتبقى الوطن الشامخ صرخه

قصيدة للشاعر ربيع الشمري

Project Statement:

In this series, CarryOn Homes focus on the experiences of refugees and immigrants who relocated to Minnesota searching for stability and a peaceful life, leaving their homes due to war. This project specifically highlights the journeys of refugees and immigrants from SWANA to the US following the US-led invasion and occupation or civil war in their home countries, adding layers of complexity to the already dense immigrant experience. Some of the interviewees fled after experiencing traumatic events such as prison, bombing, and the militarization of their homeland. Despite the difficulties of starting a new life in a country complicit in the wars that forced them to leave and subjected to discrimination, these brave people inspire us with their stories of hope, reliance, and compassion. To Your Raised Head builds bridges beyond our cultural differences. The interviewees brought an object they carried from their home countries to the US to be photographed with, then told the story of this precious object, and ultimately shared their unique yet universally relatable experience with relocating and building a sense of belonging in a new place.

“When you listen to music from a different culture, you are tasting the soul of that culture. Having lost Afghanistan, one of my main connections is the sound of the music, the soul of those people, the soul of the land.” -Emel Sherzad talks about his Rubab, a lute-like musical instrument that his family brought from Afghanistan.

This exhibition is part of an ongoing project started in 2017 by photographer Shun Jie Yong and social practice artist Peng Wu under the name of CarryOn Homes. After participating as an interviewee, in December 2017, artist Zoe Cinel joined the CarryOn Homes team. Following endeavors in the public art and curatorial field, including a Creative City Challenge Award in 2018 for the public platform CarryOn Homes at the Commons, and a curated traveling exhibition Home of Memories: Portraits of Iraqi Americans by Iraqi American Photographers, the CarryOn Homes team revisited the original project with new portraits and interviews of recent refugees and immigrants.

Trigger warning:

The interviews might contain references to war and other traumatic experiences that might be triggering. Please take care of yourself when listening.

Stories featured in this installation:

“The hardest thing for me was to try to live in this American society and fit in while also keeping my religion and my culture with me”
- Meryam Abdulkareem
اصعب شي واجهته كان العيش والاندماج ضمن المجتمع الامريكي مع الحفاظ على ديني وثقافتي
مريم عبد الكريم

Photo by Shun Yong, Interview by Peng Wu and Shun Yong, sound editing by Zoe Cinel; Audio interview, 9:08 minutes

Maryam was born in Baghdad. Her family migrated first to Syria to escape the war and then to Minnesota when she was a child. Before leaving her grandmother gave her a black scarf infuse with her perfume in an attempt to keep her close and alive in her memory.

“I brought shoes. I actually got them in Syria before I came. I know I would feel homesick so I could always just be wearing them like my home on my feet”
- Essma Imady
قبل مجيئي الى هنا اشتريت حذاء من سوريا ، لانني علمت انني ساشعر بالغربة لذلك سوف ابقى دائما ارتديهن لاشعر بان منزلي على قدمي.
اسماء عمادي

Photo by Shun Yong, Interview by Peng Wu and Shun Yong, sound editing by Peng Wu

Audio interview, 6:29 minutes

Essma Imady came from Syria carrying traditionally crafted handmade shoes she purchased in her home country. During her first year in MN, the shoes functioned as an ice-breaker to engage people in conversations about her home country and culture. Even if the shoes are now run-down, she still holds onto them as a way to celebrate her roots.

“If I stay at home and never associate with people, how do I know them? How do I know how they are thinking or understand me? So I started working with different people from Asia, from Mexico, from the US (..) I feel happy and proud of myself”
- Shaymaa Khalil
اذا ابقى في البيت ولا اختلط ابدا مع الناس، كيف لي ان اعرفهم؟، كيف لي ان اعرف كيف يفكرون او كيف يفهمونني؟. لذا بدأت ان اعمل مع اشخاص من شعوب مختلفة كاسيا ، المكسيك وامريكا. اشعر بالسعادة وانا فخورة بنفسي.
شيماء خليل

Photo by Shun Yong, Interview by Peng Wu and Shun Yong, sound editing by Zoe Cinel

Audio interview, 11:08 min
Shaymaa Khalil is an Iraqi woman who worked for the British Council in Baghdad. Despite being the first member of her family to migrate to a new country, Shaymaa holds a deep connection with Iraq: every day she reads from a praying book her brother gave her. Shaymaa is actively involved in sharing the rich culture of Iraq through her position as an Operation Director with IARP.

“When you listen to music from a different culture, you are tasting the soul of that culture. Having lost Afghanistan, one of my main connections is the sound of the music, the soul of those people, the soul of the land.”
- Emel Sherzad
عندما تستمع لموسيقى من ثقافة مختلفة ، انت تتذوق روح هذه الثقافة. بعد فقداني لافغانستان، كان اتصالي الرئيسي هو صوت الموسيقى، ارواح هؤلاء الناس وروح الوطن.
ايميل شيرزاد

Emel is a chef, musician, and visual artist based in St Paul. He permanently left Afghanistan when he was a teenager due to the 1978 communist coup and his family's incarceration. He grew up between Afghanistan, Switzerland, France, and Italy and he moved to the US to reunite with family, ending up attending Macalester college. In this interview, he talks about his Rubab, a lute-like musical instrument that his family brought from Afghanistan, and shares how his love of music and painting has helped him build a community that looks beyond cultural differences. Chef and owner of the former restaurant Khyber Pass, Emel has also been hosting International Jazz Conspiracy since 1995 on KFAI radio.

“Everything is different: culture is different, weather is different, the language is different. Everything is hard for me”
- Omid Momand

كل شي مختلف: العادات والتقاليد مختلفة، الطقس مختلف، اللغة مختلفة. كل شيء صعب بالنسبة لي.
أوميد مومند

Photography by Shun Jie Yong, Interview by Peng Wu and Shun Jie Yong, sound editing by Zoe Cinel; Audio interview, 6:30 min

Omid worked a case working with the US military in Afghanistan. He moved to the US in 2021 to escape the oppressive Taliban regime. He wanted to be photographed with the official Afghan flag that he brought from home. Since the Taliban banned this flag and adopted a new one, this object assumed political value beyond the personal and historical one. In this interview Omid also shared with us the struggle of being a recent refugee: as a former case worked himself he points out at the limited support offered by the US government to help new immigrants during transition.

“Being here in the US as a refugee makes me feel safe but I am still feeling lonely (..) There is a big change coming from a place where you have spent all your life”.
- Mohammad Qadeer Nasee
وجودي هنا كلاجئ في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية يجعلني اشعر بالامان لكنني مازلت اشعر بأنني وحيد
هناك تغيير كبير عندما تنتقل من مكان قضيت فيه كل حياتك .
محمد قادر نصير

Photography by Shun Jie Yong, Interview by Peng Wu and Shun Jie Yong, sound editing by Zoe Cinel; Audio interview, 4:55 min

Mohammad arrived in MN in 2021 from Afghanistan where he was a banker. He now works as Finance Director for IARP and as an accountant in a real estate company while also completing a Master program. He brought a tasbih, a prayer beads used by Muslims that he received as a gift from his employer in Afghanistan.

“You have the capability to transfer from any place to any place, you don't eat and leave the dishes. You have to treat the place like your home so people feel comfortable”
- Jamal Ali
انت تمتلك القدرة على الانتقال من مكان لاخر. انت لا تأكل وتترك الصحون. يجب عليك ان تتعامل مع المكان كمنزلك حتى يشعر الاخرين بالراحة.
جمال علي

Photography by Shun Jie Yong, Interview by Peng Wu and Shun Jie Yong, sound editing by Zoe Cinel; Audio interview, 7:30 min

Jamal Ali came from Baghdad, Iraq in February 2009. As a former general manager for UPS in Baghdad, after the war of 2003 in Iraq he became a target for Al Qaeda and had to leave the country with his family. Prior to UPS he worked as an aircraft engineer in Iraq and in the US and still holds dear memories of this time as shown by the little airplane model he posed with for this project.

We know it is very dangerous but when I hold the camera (..) it gives me power like I am superman
- Ahmed Al-Husseini
نحن نعلم بانها خطرة جدًا ، لكن عندما كنت امسك بالكاميرا ، كانت تعطيني قوة تشعرني بانني سوبر مان-
اي رجل خارق
احمدالحسيني

Ahmed was a photojournalist in Baghdad, Iraq working with all the main agencies in reporting war between Iraq and ISIS. He lost many friends and coworkers working in war zones and had to navigate very stressful situations including police brutality and post traumatic stress, but photojournalism is still his passion. He wanted to be portrayed with his camera

About the Artists and Partners:

The Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project (IARP) is a nonprofit founded in 2007 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that builds bridges of communication, understanding, and support between Iraqis and Americans after decades of sanctions, war, and occupation. We are Iraqis and Americans, veterans and refugees, peace activists and artists, students and professionals, and many more united by a common goal: promoting reconciliation between our communities and building a more peaceful and just world.

The Winona Afghan Support Network (WASN) is a community coalition that started meeting during the late summer and early fall of 2021 to support Afghan refugees in their transition to creating a home in the United States.

CarryOn Homes is an artist collective dedicated to telling the stories of immigrants and refugees in the USA through art. Using various media and platforms, COH engages the public in cross-cultural dialogues and creates spaces for immigrants to feel belonging and empowered. Recent Projects include the recent touring exhibition, Home of Memories: Portraits of Iraqi Americans by Iraqi American Photographers, and the public platform CarryOn Homes at the Commons, funded through a Creative City Challenge Award in 2018. Current members: Shun Jie Yong, Peng Wu, Zoe Cinel. Former members: Aki Shibata and Preston Drum (2017-2020).

Zoe Cinel is an interdisciplinary artist and curator from Italy whose work builds community around human experiences that are isolating and complex to navigate, such as immigration and chronic pain. Starting from her journey as a patient and a migrant and collaborating with artists or with specialists in fields such as medicine and urban design, Zoe’s work’s ultimate goal is to connect and produce social change. Cinel received an MFA in Visual Studies from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Her artistic and curatorial work has been shown in institutions such as the Walker Art Center, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Gordon Parks Gallery at Metropolitan State University, St Paul, and the Rochester Art Center. Cinel is a 2022-23 resident artist at Second Shift Studio Space in St. Paul.

Born and raised in China, Peng Wu is a graphic designer and social practice artist dedicated to creating socially engaged projects in public space. His work combines the power of design thinking with contemporary art strategies to address various urgent social issues, including immigration, health disparity, and queer rights. He holds two master’s degrees in product design and sculpture and a bachelor's degree in physics. Through collaborating across disciplines and cultures, he has created participatory art installations exhibited in art institutions such as the Weisman Art Museum, Walker Art Center, and Minneapolis Institute of Art, as well as numerous public streets and community centers both in the U.S. and China. He is also an independent curator working with international cultural organizations on various exhibitions. Recent projects include Breathing Room in collaboration with Yuko Taniguchi and Youyang Yu at Rochester Art Center, Pandemic School at SooVAC, and the Shanghai International Paper Art Biennale at Fengxian Museum. Wu is an Assistant Professor at St Cloud State University and an Adjunct Professor at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design MFA program.

Shun Jie Yong is a fine art photographer and multidisciplinary artist. His work finds inspiration from his experiences as a second-generation immigrant in Malaysia and a first-generation immigrant in the United States; fear of loss, generational trauma, and curiosity motivated him to make photographs. Yong holds an MFA in Visual Studies from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and a BS in Physics from St. Cloud State University. His work has been exhibited at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Art at 801 Gallery, Soo Visuals Art Center, Minneapolis Institute of Art, and the Walker Art Center. Yong is the recipient of a 2019 MCBA/Jerome Foundation Book Arts Fellowship Series XV, and the 2021/22 MCAD–Jerome Foundation Fellowships for Early Career Artists, Forecast Public Art 2022 Early-Career Research + Development Grants, a 2022 Metropolitan Regional Arts Council Arts Impact for Individuals Grant, and a 2022 Minnesota State Arts Board Creative Support for Individuals Grant.

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Soo Visual Arts Center is located at 2909 Bryant Avenue Suite #101 in Minneapolis, on the corner of Bryant Avenue South and 29th Street facing the Greenway. Gallery hours are Wednesday-Friday 11 am-6 pm, and Saturday-Sunday 11 am–5 pm.

SooVAC is a nonprofit, 501c3 arts organization that connects our community with fresh, under-represented and provocative work. Soo Visual Arts Center's programming is made possible in part by the generous support of our Members and Best Buy Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, McKnight Foundation, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, and with assistance from Propel Nonprofits. Our programming is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

A Big Thanks to SooVAC's 2022 Sponsors: 36LYN Refuel Station, Color Space Art and Imaging, Common Roots Cafe, Coulee Bank, Fredrickson & Byron, P.A., Kowalski's Market, Knock, Inc., Mitrebox Framing Studio, Nightingale and Phoenix on the River.

This project is supported by Forecast Public Art through funding from The McKnight Foundation.