NADA Curated by Fitsum Shebeshe

This work consists of a photo emulsion lift from a family image taken by my mother in my grandparents’ home in the late 1980s. The photograph captures a moment in my grandmother’s living room, where my family gathers around a coffee table laden with food and drinks. Fragmented across six copper plates, the image has been manipulated with a heat patina (done by my friend Dee Dee Decay), creating a colorful yet aged effect that conveys the passage of time and the imperfect nature of memory. Titled “The Hour of Friendship,” after a phrase my grandfather often used when hosting family gatherings, this piece reflects a connection to a past I never personally experienced but feel connected to through anecdotes preserved by my mother. After immigrating, this phrase could have become a poignant reminder of the lost communal moments and a yearning for a sense of belonging in a new place, despite this – we used the phrase to remind ourselves that we still had each other to share moments with. The work embodies my attempt to reclaim a piece of familial history, blurring the line between inherited memories and personal experiences.