3. Patrice Aphrodite Helmar. Born in Juneau, Alaska, Patrice Aphrodite Helmar’s artistic journey began in her father’s camera shop and darkroom. Her multidisciplinary work encompasses photography and explores labor, class, queerness, and the politics of representation. Helmar holds degrees from the University of Southeast Alaska (M.A.T., 2013), Columbia University (M.F.A., 2015), and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture (2022). Currently, she serves as a Lecturer on Art, Film, and Visual Studies at Harvard University, living and working between Juneau, AK, and New York, NY. Her work has been showcased at institutions like the Jewish Museum, Gaa Gallery, and the National Museum of Iceland.
4. Nhu Xuan Hua. French photographer of Vietnamese heritage, Nhu Xuan Hua’s artistic trajectory involves a background in art history and cinema. Having worked for notable fashion houses in London, she returned to Paris, exploring a multidisciplinary storytelling practice. In 2022, her solo show, “Hug of a Swan,” at Huis Marseille (Amsterdam), showcased various projects from the last six years. Her debut publication, “Tropism, Consequences of a Displaced Memory” (Area Books, 2022), reinterprets archival family pictures through digital interventions, providing insights into the impact of time and inherited memory.
5. Hailun Ma. With a B.F.A. in Photography and M.P.S. in Fashion Photography from the School of Visual Arts, Hailun Ma’s photographic journey took an intriguing turn. Inspired by her fashion photography experience in New York, Ma developed a deep appreciation for Xinjiang’s culture, fashion, and youth. Her work has been featured in exhibitions globally, from New York to Mumbai to Beijing. She exhibited solo shows organized by Gaotai Gallery (Urumqi), Mine Project (Hong Kong), and Alter (Shanghai). Her work is part of esteemed collections worldwide, including the White Rabbit Gallery (Sydney) and X Museum (Beijing).
6. Rory Mulligan. An M.F.A. graduate from Yale University, Rory Mulligan serves as an Assistant Teaching Professor of Art at Drew University in Madison, NJ. His photography has received acclaim nationally and internationally, finding a place in the permanent collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Light Work. Mulligan’s contributions extend to publications such as J&L Books, Blind Spot, MATTE, Soft Copy, and The New York Times Magazine. As an artist-in-residence at Light Work (Syracuse, NY) and LMCC’s Art Residency Program on Governor’s Island, he has shared his insights with institutions like Sarah Lawrence College, Yale University, and the School of the Art Institute Chicago.