Once Upon a Time: Jamil Hellu

On view in Thacher Gallery through October 23 are a collection of arresting photographs, screen prints, and videos by San Francisco-based artist Jamil Hellu. The artist’s work explores the complex intersection of Arab and queer identity, themes especially relevant in this time of violence and war in the Middle East.

Drawn from seemingly disparate realms of cultural representation, language acquisition, and the artist’s Syrian roots, these works startle and amuse as they reveal elements of Hellu’s unique narrative. By presenting the familiar art of self-portraiture in unexpected, often shape-shifting formats, Hellu invites us to grapple with what kinds of visual cues form our perceptions of others even as he reminds us that identity is deeply individual.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.