Jasmine Wahi, born 1986 in Washington, D.C., is a South Asian American curator, art advisor, and activist [1], and is currently the Holly Block Social Justice Curator of the Bronx Museum of the Arts [2]. Her practice focuses on issues of femme empowerment, complicating binary structures within social discourses, and exploring multi-positional cultural identities through the lens of intersectional feminism. In addition to running Project for Empty Space, and curating international shows independently, Wahi is also a professor at the School of Visual Arts [3], and a former board member of the South Asian Women’s Creative Collective (SAWCC) [4].
Wahi spent her childhood in Washington, D.C., where her parents still reside. She grew up exposed to curation, as her aunt worked as a curator for the Smithsonian and developed her interest early on. [1] Wahi attended New York University from 2004-2008, receiving a BA in Art History and South Asian Studies. In addition, she received her masters at New York University [5] in Art History, Criticism and Conservation [6].
In 2008 Wahi opened her own consultancy, which focused primarily on cultivating emerging artists in a largely competitive marketplace. Since it first opened, Jasmine Wahi Contemporary has grown beyond an advisory service to include curatorial projects and non-profit endeavors. Curatorial work primarily focuses on social narratives, such as feminism, individualism, sexuality and sexual orientation, and personal flaws and achievements [1].
In 2010, Wahi co-founded Project For Empty Space, a non-profit arts organization in New York City dedicated to bringing contemporary art to a multitude of communities through the utilization of abandoned and unusual urban spaces [7].
In 2011 Project For Empty Space expanded its programming to other parts of the world, including Bogota, Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, and Toronto, Canada. [7]
In March 2015, Wahi co-created and became the co-director of The Gateway Project and Gallery. [6] Gateway connects to people passing through the space concourse with a series of small art window displays and installations by six artists in a rotating program. [8]
In 2019 she was elected the Co-Chair of The Feminist Art Projects. [9]
In January of 2020, Wahi co-curated Abortion Is Normal [10], a two-part emergency exhibition co-organized by Marilyn Minter, Gina Nanni, Laurie Simmons, and Sandy Tait. [11] The exhibition featured works by around 40 female artists, among them Marilyn Minter, Carrie Mae Weems [2], Nan Goldin, Cindy Sherman, Barbara Kruger, Viva Ruiz, Shirin Neshat and Natalie Frank. [12]
In February of 2020, Wahi was named the Holly Block Social Justice Curator of the Bronx Museum of the Arts. [2] The position was named after the passing of Holly Block, a prominent figure in the New York art world and long-time advocate for the Bronx.
[CATEGORIES]
Jasmine Wahi, born 1986 in Washington, D.C., is a South Asian American curator, art advisor, and activist [1], and is currently the Holly Block Social Justice Curator of the Bronx Museum of the Arts [2]. Her practice focuses on issues of femme empowerment, complicating binary structures within social discourses, and exploring multi-positional cultural identities through the lens of intersectional feminism. In addition to running Project for Empty Space, and curating international shows independently, Wahi is also a professor at the School of Visual Arts [3], and a former board member of the South Asian Women’s Creative Collective (SAWCC) [4].
Wahi spent her childhood in Washington, D.C., where her parents still reside. She grew up exposed to curation, as her aunt worked as a curator for the Smithsonian and developed her interest early on. [1] Wahi attended New York University from 2004-2008, receiving a BA in Art History and South Asian Studies. In addition, she received her masters at New York University [5] in Art History, Criticism and Conservation [6].
In 2008 Wahi opened her own consultancy, which focused primarily on cultivating emerging artists in a largely competitive marketplace. Since it first opened, Jasmine Wahi Contemporary has grown beyond an advisory service to include curatorial projects and non-profit endeavors. Curatorial work primarily focuses on social narratives, such as feminism, individualism, sexuality and sexual orientation, and personal flaws and achievements [1].
In 2010, Wahi co-founded Project For Empty Space, a non-profit arts organization in New York City dedicated to bringing contemporary art to a multitude of communities through the utilization of abandoned and unusual urban spaces [7].
In 2011 Project For Empty Space expanded its programming to other parts of the world, including Bogota, Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, and Toronto, Canada. [7]
In March 2015, Wahi co-created and became the co-director of The Gateway Project and Gallery. [6] Gateway connects to people passing through the space concourse with a series of small art window displays and installations by six artists in a rotating program. [8]
In 2019 she was elected the Co-Chair of The Feminist Art Projects. [9]
In January of 2020, Wahi co-curated Abortion Is Normal [10], a two-part emergency exhibition co-organized by Marilyn Minter, Gina Nanni, Laurie Simmons, and Sandy Tait. [11] The exhibition featured works by around 40 female artists, among them Marilyn Minter, Carrie Mae Weems [2], Nan Goldin, Cindy Sherman, Barbara Kruger, Viva Ruiz, Shirin Neshat and Natalie Frank. [12]
In February of 2020, Wahi was named the Holly Block Social Justice Curator of the Bronx Museum of the Arts. [2] The position was named after the passing of Holly Block, a prominent figure in the New York art world and long-time advocate for the Bronx.
[CATEGORIES]