The portraits in "Kindred Spirits" were captured by staff photographer Jess Alvarenga to accompany a story in Momentum, a publication from Stanford's Office of Development. The story highlights Spirit House, a unique art exhibit at the Cantor Arts Center that showcases Asian American and diasporic artists, their relationship to life and death, and the porous dimension in between. It was conceptualized by two Stanford curators as part of a historic effort to bring more Asian American art into museums. Jess photographed the curators in an innovative way to entice people to go visit the exhibit. This story strategically ties to the Asian American Art Initiative, a fundraising priority. For the photographs, Jess and the editorial team wanted to capture the magnitude and importance of the initiative, while honoring the cultural integrity of the exhibit. Jess photographed curators Aleesa Pitchamarn Alexander and Kathryn Cua using long exposure techniques to give them a ghostly appearance. The results were powerful yet dreamlike portraits.
From the Judges
We appreciated the collaborative aspect of working with the curators to get the finished photos. The double exposure, blurry, dreamlike aspects of the portraits were well suited to the topic.
