Melissa Joseph
Melissa Joseph is a New York based artist. Her work considers themes of memory, family history, and the politics of how we occupy spaces. She intentionally alludes to the labors of women as well as experiences as a second generation American and the unique juxtapositions of diasporic life.
In third grade, I was bused with the rest of my Catholic schoolmates to march in the Pro-Life Rally in Washington, DC. We woke up at 3 a.m., packed pre-made sandwiches in coolers, and headed south to save babies. I bring it up because I would like to share some thoughts on the July beheading of Shahzia Sikander’s powerful, feminist work Witness (2023) that happened while it was on view at the University of Houston.
