Amir Saadiq

Email:

amsaadiq@ucsd.edu

Website:

https://asaadiq.com/

Biography:

My practice focuses on challenging social norms and representation while exploring the intersectionality of economics, politics, activism, religion and Blackness. As a Black man, I have seen the generational effects of systematic oppression. As a visual artist, I was struck by how many images depicted of my community were taken by interlopers. This led me to create images countering mainstream tropes dictated by Western Epistemology.

My work aims to diversify the traditional canon of photography by using images to spark culturally relevant conversations. Studying literature, in particular historical fiction, widened my perspective. I now experiment with new forms of storytelling using narrative, fiction, and time to address historical and systemic factors informing my work.