Share

We Are ALL From There

When we speak of immigrants, it always seems as though they exist outside the fabric of what it means to be American. Interwoven through us all are the underpinnings of another place from which we came. An immigrant is also an American.

“Once I thought to write a history of the immigrants in America. Then I discovered that the immigrants were American history.”

Oscar Handlin

The picture depicts a bearded man, who has transformed his mask into a way to speak more loudly. His message calls to action the many who go unheard because not because they are voiceless, but because they are not listened to. In an era of heightened xenophobia and social disconnect, his masked face lends a voice to those who wish to be considered as fellow Americans within the communities they have grown, in a country founded by immigrants for immigrants. Although much of his face is obscured, his eyes communicate a message of unrelenting solidarity with migrant populations.

Amir Leung-Tat, We Are ALL From There, 2020. Digital Photograph. ©Amir Leung-Tat. All rights reserved.

Amir Leung-Tat

@_prince_photo._

Amir Leung-Tat is a Boston based photography major at UMass Dartmouth. His talent and passion for the art is emphasized mostly in portraiture, capturing the spirit and essence of people. Using his Canon camera as a canvas, he explores the many perspectives and attributes of humanity as they engage in the lived experience.

Amir believes that a moment in time captured in an instant could potentially turn an ordinary event into an extraordinary outcome. Amir draws his inspiration from his mom, also a photographer, and artist such as Chi Modu, Josh Farias and renowned photographer Dorothea Lange. His work, like theirs offers a bold expression, wide palate, and glimpses of the human connection. His photos combine a retro style with contemporary sharpness and sometimes can illustrate a psychedelic edge. Mostly, his work aims to capture the undulating course of the human emotion expressed through the eyes and body language of each individual. He is also an avid car enthusiast and in his spare time enjoys photographing dynamic and high-powered vehicles as well.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Ubuntu

Ubuntu is a exhibition of the photography of Amir Leung-Tat. An interpretation of the Nguni term which means "I am because we are" and associated African philosophy which promotes the interconnectedness of humanity, Leung-Tat's work represents a poignant exploration of the vast totality of the black experience through the eyes of an artist coming of age. Shot during his time in Keyna, as well as during the 2020 Black Lives Matter demonstrations in Boston, MA, his work captures the enduring connections and similarities that override geographical differences. Despite the forced separation of Black bodies from their homeland, there is a vibrant energy and resolve to overcome obstacles and a singularity of spirit that remains connected across time and space.

Other work from Ubuntu