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Being Seen in NYC
Since starting her residency with the NYC Commission on Human Rights in 2018, our first-ever Public Artist in Residence (PAIR), Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, has unveiled a series of street art projects across New York City addressing anti-black racism and gender-based harassment. Fazlalizadeh is a Brooklyn-based street artist and painter whose street art project Stop Telling Women to Smile tackling gender-based street harassment has amassed international attention.
PAIR, which the City's Department of Cultural Affairs launched in 2015, embeds artists within City agencies to address pressing civic issues through creative practice. Each PAIR placement lasts a minimum of one year. The residency begins with a research phase, during which the artist spends time at the agency, meeting staff and learning about its operations and initiatives while also introducing the artist's practice and process to agency staff. The research phase concludes with a proposal from the artist outlining one or more public-facing participatory projects that will be implemented during the remainder of the residency. PAIR is supported with funds from the City of New York. Read the full press release on the announcement.
On July 16, 2019, the Commission celebrated Fazlalizadeh's work and the power of art in combating bias with a special event at BRIC in Brooklyn.
The Murals
Daniel O'Connell Playground, 113-1 196th St., St. Albans, NY 11412
Photo Album of Installation & Unveiling
Thank You to All Who Shared Your Story!
The murals created by Public Artist-in-Residence Tatyana Fazlalizadeh are based on New Yorkers' experiences with anti-Black racism and gender harassment, which the Commission captured through postcards, distributed in all five boroughs of New York City throughout 2018.
Below are some of the locations where folks filled out postcards for their submission to the public art project.
Learn More About the Artist
Tatyana Fazlalizadeh is a Brooklyn-based street artist and painter. Her project Stop Telling Women to Smile is a street art series that tackles gender-based street harassment around the world; her work can be found on walls from New York to Paris, Los Angeles to Mexico City, and more, amassing international attention for tackling violence against women in public spaces.
In 2014, film director Spike Lee asked Tatyana to be the Art Consultant for the TV adaptation of his first movie She's Gotta Have It. Tatyana created all of the paintings for the show's main character. During her residency, Tatyana will continue to work with people facing discrimination – particularly women and girls – to educate the public on discriminatory behavior and help the agency strengthen their presence and visibility as an important resource.
Learn more at tlynnfaz.com
Project Visuals
