PERSONAL PORTRAITS: A wall art project captures the diverse identities and powerful stories of Scotties. by Karina Antenucci
Created byYehimi Cambrón ’14, the wall of portraits titled “Somos,” a Spanish word that means “we are,” features nine diverse Scotties and their personal narratives.The title is a bold declaration reflecting the themes of solidarity, inclusivity and identity. 14
Top row, from left to right: Briana Barnett ’20, Maria Zetina ’19 and Eman Kwhaja ’20. Middle row, from left to right: Ngun Kip Chin ’21, Amira Daughtery ’19 and Jordan Keesler ’19. Bottom row, from left to right: Leah Trotman ’21, Salma Vizcaino ’20 and Onix Silva ’18.
Last year, a large purple accent wall in the newly redecorated Gué Pardue Hudson Center for Leadership and Service’s student study space stood blank, beckoning artwork. To fill the void, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Karen Goff commissioned alumna and muralist Yehimi Cambrón ’14 to create an inspiring portrait installation. “When Dean Goff approached me wanting something to inspire students and reflect the leadership, service and community of Agnes Scott, I pitched her the idea of using the students’ faces and stories in their own words—a very real, tangible example of what students can aspire to become during their time there,” explains Cambrón, who creates art as a platform for social change and often draws from her life experience as a Mexican immigrant. Students and staff members submitted 15 candidates for the portraits. Then Cambrón had one-on-one conversations with each of them in order to hear their stories and learn how their identities and lived experiences informed each student’s service and leadership. “Our goal was to be as inclusive as possible of the Agnes Scott community, to represent a diverse group so that every student that interacts with the portraits can find a way to connect,” she says. “I had the honor of hearing the unique stories of athletes, activists, future lawmakers and defenders of justice. Their stories are full of hope and resilience and fully reflect the power and potential of each Scottie, past, present and future.” To create the intimate portraits, she first photographed each subject, projected their photos onto large sheets of paper and created two portraits of each, one a thick contour line rendering using Sharpie markers and the second a thin contour line rendering using fine-point ink pens. She then photographed those drawings and digitally compiled all the layers with direct words from the interviewees, lighting and adding violet and sepia tones before printing them on canvases.
