DOI

https://doi.org/10.25772/AJ2E-GX28

Defense Date

2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts

Department

Dean's Office Qatar

First Advisor

Giovanni Innella

Second Advisor

Leland Hill

Third Advisor

Mike Wirtz

Abstract

The name of my project is: Yolkkh, The Story of My People. With this project I present a series of scarves each one bearing an illustrated scene in order to tell a story – my story and the story of the Noxci people. Noxci are the people who are referred to as “Chechens” by Russians and are generally known by that title. As a Muslim, I have witnessed the way Western media tend to dehumanize my community. In order to contrast this dehumanizing process, I thought that telling the story of my family would help reverse Islamophobic tendencies and raise empathy. The story of my family highlights the efforts and the value in preserving our native Noxci identity even through the most painful and enduring events, including war, migration, violence and death. The visual storytelling starts with the childhood of my mother. At the climax of the narration, the focus shifts from my mother to myself, visualizing scenes of my childhood all the way to my vision for my future. Through this project I aim to give a voice to the Noxci community, so to spread awareness. Furthermore, I hope that this project can inspire other minorities worldwide who are oppressed and are victims of colonization and racism to stand up and share their stories. I strongly believe in storytelling as a way to inform and connect with the audience in an empathetic and human way. This project marks the beginning of my journey as a designer activist committed to give voice to minorities worldwide, whether Muslim or of other faith. My ambition expands beyond religion, trying to reach all aspects of us being humans. I start by telling my story, hoping that others will follow.

Rights

© The Author

Is Part Of

VCU University Archives

Is Part Of

VCU Theses and Dissertations

Date of Submission

5-12-2021

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